Classification of «ochlocracy» definitions in the social sciences

This article analyzes the main approaches to the definition of «ochlocracy» within social science and social practice. Since antiquity the ochlocracy has been considered as political, cultural and social phenomenon, containing all spheres of public life. According to the present day approaches the phenomenon of the ochlocracy is considered as a temporary phenomenon, which is characterized by madness of the crowd, dictatorship based on the manipulation of crowd, violence and lawlessness, the ochlocracy as the domination of mass society and the ochlocracy as democracy. The opinion is expressed that the most often the ochlocracy occurs in the «time of troubles», when old norms, values, institutions, ways of life are destroyed without corresponding change by new ones. The ochlocracy is interpreted as the element of riots, pogroms, major street riots, in which the crowd acts as the master of situation.