the crowd-第14节

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Among　the　remote　factors　there　are　some　of　a　general　nature；　which　are　found　to　underlie　all　the　beliefs　and　opinions　of　crowds。　　They　are　race；　traditions；　time；　institutions；　and　education。

We　now　proceed　to　study　the　influence　of　these　different　factors。

1。　RACE


This　factor；　race；　must　be　placed　in　the　first　rank；　for　in　itself　it　far　surpasses　in　importance　all　the　others。　　We　have　sufficiently　studied　it　in　another　work；　it　is　therefore　needless　to　deal　with　it　again。　　We　showed；　in　a　previous　volume；　what　an　historical　race　is；　and　how；　its　character　once　formed；　it　possesses；　as　the　result　of　the　laws　of　heredity　such　power　that　its　beliefs；　institutions；　and　artsin　a　word；　all　the　elements　of　its　civilisationare　merely　the　outward　expression　of　its　genius。　　We　showed　that　the　power　of　the　race　is　such　that　no　element　can　pass　from　one　people　to　another　without　undergoing　the　most　profound　transformations。＇7＇


＇7＇　The　novelty　of　this　proposition　being　still　considerable　and　history　being　quite　unintelligible　without　it；　I　devoted　four　chapters　to　its　demonstration　in　my　last　book　（〃The　Psychological　Laws　of　the　Evolution　of　Peoples〃）。　　From　it　the　reader　will　see　that；　in　spite　of　fallacious　appearances；　neither　language；　religion；　arts；　or；　in　a　word；　any　element　of　civilisation；　can　pass；　intact；　from　one　people　to　another。



Environment；　circumstances；　and　events　represent　the　social　suggestions　of　the　moment。　　They　may　have　a　considerable　influence；　but　this　influence　is　always　momentary　if　it　be　contrary　to　the　suggestions　of　the　race；　that　is；　to　those　which　are　inherited　by　a　nation　from　the　entire　series　of　its　ancestors。

We　shall　have　occasion　in　several　of　the　chapters　of　this　work　to　touch　again　upon　racial　influence；　and　to　show　that　this　influence　is　so　great　that　it　dominates　the　characteristics　peculiar　to　the　genius　of　crowds。　　It　follows　from　this　fact　that　the　crowds　of　different　countries　offer　very　considerable　differences　of　beliefs　and　conduct　and　are　not　to　be　influenced　in　the　same　manner。


2。　TRADITIONS


Traditions　represent　the　ideas；　the　needs；　and　the　sentiments　of　the　past。　　They　are　the　synthesis　of　the　race；　and　weigh　upon　us　with　immense　force。

The　biological　sciences　have　been　transformed　since　embryology　has　shown　the　immense　influence　of　the　past　on　the　evolution　of　living　beings；　and　the　historical　sciences　will　not　undergo　a　less　change　when　this　conception　has　become　more　widespread。　　As　yet　it　is　not　sufficiently　general；　and　many　statesmen　are　still　no　further　advanced　than　the　theorists　of　the　last　century；　who　believed　that　a　society　could　break　off　with　its　past　and　be　entirely　recast　on　lines　suggested　solely　by　the　light　of　reason。

A　people　is　an　organism　created　by　the　past；　and；　like　every　other　organism；　it　can　only　be　modified　by　slow　hereditary　accumulations。

It　is　tradition　that　guides　men；　and　more　especially　so　when　they　are　in　a　crowd。　　The　changes　they　can　effect　in　their　traditions　with　any　ease；　merely　bear；　as　I　have　often　repeated；　upon　names　and　outward　forms。

This　circumstance　is　not　to　be　regretted。　　Neither　a　national　genius　nor　civilisation　would　be　possible　without　traditions。　　In　consequence　man's　two　great　concerns　since　he　has　existed　have　been　to　create　a　network　of　traditions　which　he　afterwards　endeavours　to　destroy　when　their　beneficial　effects　have　worn　themselves　out。　　Civilisation　is　impossible　without　traditions；　and　progress　impossible　without　the　destruction　of　those　traditions。　　The　difficulty；　and　it　is　an　immense　difficulty；　is　to　find　a　proper　equilibrium　between　stability　and　variability。　Should　a　people　allow　its　customs　to　become　too　firmly　rooted；　it　can　no　longer　change；　and　becomes；　like　China；　incapable　of　improvement。　　Violent　revolutions　are　in　this　case　of　no　avail；　for　what　happens　is　that　either　the　broken　fragments　of　the　chain　are　pieced　together　again　and　the　past　resumes　its　empire　without　change；　or　the　fragments　remain　apart　and　decadence　soon　succeeds　anarchy。

The　ideal　for　a　people　is　in　consequence　to　preserve　the　institutions　of　the　past；　merely　changing　them　insensibly　and　little　by　little。　　This　ideal　is　difficult　to　realise。　　The　Romans　in　ancient　and　the　English　in　modern　times　are　almost　alone　in　having　realised　it。

It　is　precisely　crowds　that　cling　the　most　tenaciously　to　traditional　ideas　and　oppose　their　being　changed　with　the　most　obstinacy。　　This　is　notably　the　case　with　the　category　of　crowds　constituting　castes。　　I　have　already　insisted　upon　the　conservative　spirit　of　crowds；　and　shown　that　the　most　violent　rebellions　merely　end　in　a　changing　of　words　and　terms。　　At　the　end　of　the　last　century；　in　the　presence　of　destroyed　churches；　of　priests　expelled　the　country　or　guillotined；　it　might　have　been　thought　that　the　old　religious　ideas　had　lost　all　their　strength；　and　yet　a　few　years　had　barely　lapsed　before　the　abolished　system　of　public　worship　had　to　be　re…established　in　deference　to　universal　demands。＇8＇


＇8＇　The　report　of　the　ex…Conventionist；　Fourcroy；　quoted　by　Taine；　is　very　clear　on　this　point。

〃What　is　everywhere　seen　with　respect　to　the　keeping　of　Sunday　and　attendance　at　the　churches　proves　that　the　majority　of　Frenchmen　desire　to　return　to　their　old　usages　and　that　it　is　no　longer　opportune　to　resist　this　natural　tendency。　。　。　。　　The　great　majority　of　men　stand　in　need　of　religion；　public　worship；　and　priests。　　IT　IS　AN　ERROR　OF　SOME　MODERN　PHILOSOPHERS；　BY　WHICH　I　MYSELF　HAVE　BEEN　LED　AWAY；　to　believe　in　the　possibility　of　instruction　being　so　general　as　to　destroy　religious　prejudices；　which　for　a　great　number　of　unfortunate　persons　are　a　source　of　consolation。　。　。　。　　The　mass　of　the　people；　then；　must　be　allowed　its　priests；　its　altars；　and　its　public　worship。〃



Blotted　out　for　a　moment；　the　old　traditions　had　resumed　their　sway。

No　example　could　better　display　the　power　of　tradition　on　the　mind　of　crowds。　　The　most　redoubtable　idols　do　not　dwell　in　temples；　nor　the　most　despotic　tyrants　in　palaces；　both　the　one　and　the　other　can　be　broken　in　an　instant。　　But　the　invisible　masters　that　reign　in　our　innermost　selves　are　safe　from　every　effort　at　revolt；　and　only　yield　to　the　slow　wearing　away　of　centuries。


3。　TIME


In　social　as　in　biological　problems　time　is　one　of　the　most　energetic　factors。　　It　is　the　sole　real　creator　and　the　sole　great　destroyer。　　It　is　time　that　has　made　mountains　with　grains　of　sand　and　raised　the　obscure　cell　of　geological　eras　to　human　dignity。　　The　action　of　centuries　is　sufficient　to　transform　any　given　phenomenon。　　It　has　been　justly　observed　that　an　ant　with　enough　time　at　its　disposal　could　level　Mount　Blanc。　　A　being　possessed　of　the　magical　force　of　varying　time　at　his　will　would　have　the　power　attributed　by　believers　to　God。

In　this　place；　however；　we　have　only　to　concern　ourselves　with　the　influence　of　time　on　the　genesis　of　the　opinions　of　crowds。　Its　action　from　this　point　of　view　is　still　immense。　　Dependent　upon　it　are　the　great　forces　such　as　race；　which　cannot　form　themselves　without　it。　　It　causes　the　birth；　the　growth；　and　the　death　of　all　beliefs。　　It　is　by　the　aid　of　time　that　they　acquire　their　strength　and　also　by　its　aid　that　they　lose　it。

It　is　time　in　particular　that　prepares　the　opinions　and　beliefs　of　crowds；　or　at　least　the　soil　on　which　they　will　germinate。　This　is　why　certain　ideas　are　realisable　at　one　epoch　and　not　at　another。　　It　is　time　that　accumulates　that　immense　detritus　of　beliefs　and　thoughts　on　which　the　ideas　of　a　given　period　spring　up。　　They　do　not　grow　at　hazard　and　by　chance；　the　roots　of　each　of　them　strike　down　into　a　long　past。　　When　they　blossom　it　is　time　that　has　prepared　their　blooming；　and　to　arrive　at　a　notion　of　their　genesis　it　is　always　back　in　the　past　that　it　is　necessary　to　search。　　They　are　the　daughters　of　the　past　and　the　mothers　of　the　future；　but　throughout　the　slaves　of　time。

Time；　in　consequence；　is　our　veritable　master；　and　it　suffices　to　leave　it　free　to　act　to　see　all　things　transformed。　　At　the　present　day　we　are　very　uneasy　with　regard　to　the　threatening　aspirations　of　the　masses　and　the　destructions　and　upheavals　foreboded　thereby。　　Time；　without　other　aid；　will　see　to　the　restoration　of　equilibrium。　　〃No　form　of　government；〃　M。　Lavisse　very　properly　writes；　〃was　founded　in　a　day。　　Political　and　social　organisations　are　works　that　demand　centuries。　　The　feudal　system　existed　for　centuries　in　a　shapeless；　chaotic　state　before　it　found　its　laws；　absolute　monarchy　also　existed　for　centuries　before　arriving　at　regular　methods　of　government；　and　these　periods　of　expectancy　were　extremely　troubled。〃


4。　POLITICAL　AND　SOCIAL　INSTITUTIONS


The　idea　that　institutions　can　remedy　the　defects　of　societies；　that　national　progress　is　the　consequence　of　the　improvement　of　institutions　and　governments；　and　that　social　changes　can　be　effected　by　decrees　this　idea；　I　say；　is　still　generally　accepted。　　It　was　the　starting…point　of　the　French　Revolution；　and　the　social　theories　of　the　present　day　are　based　upon　it。

The　most　continuous　experience　has　been　unsuccessful　in　shaking　this　grave　delusion。　　Philosophers　and　historians　have　e