the crowd-第17节

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espect　to　a　group　of　sciences；　be　living　repertories　of　all　human　knowledge。　　In　point　of　fact　they　were　that；　or　nearly　so；　for　two　hours　on　that　particular　day；　but　a　month　later　they　are　so　no　longer。　　They　could　not　go　through　the　examination　again。　　Their　too　numerous　and　too　burdensome　acquisitions　slip　incessantly　from　their　mind；　and　are　not　replaced。　　Their　mental　vigour　has　declined；　their　fertile　capacity　for　growth　has　dried　up；　the　fully…developed　man　appears；　and　he　is　often　a　used…up　man。　　Settled　down；　married；　resigned　to　turning　in　a　circle；　and　indefinitely　in　the　same　circle；　he　shuts　himself　up　in　his　confined　function；　which　he　fulfils　adequately；　but　nothing　more。　　Such　is　the　average　yield：　assuredly　the　receipts　do　not　balance　the　expenditure。　　In　England　or　America；　where；　as　in　France　previous　to　1789；　the　contrary　proceeding　is　adopted；　the　outcome　obtained　is　equal　or　superior。〃


The　illustrious　psychologist　subsequently　shows　us　the　difference　between　our　system　and　that　of　the　Anglo…Saxons。　　The　latter　do　not　possess　our　innumerable　special　schools。　　With　them　instruction　is　not　based　on　book…learning；　but　on　object　lessons。　The　engineer；　for　example；　is　trained　in　a　workshop；　and　never　at　a　school；　a　method　which　allows　of　each　individual　reaching　the　level　his　intelligence　permits　of。　　He　becomes　a　workman　or　a　foreman　if　he　can　get　no　further；　an　engineer　if　his　aptitudes　take　him　as　far。　　This　manner　of　proceeding　is　much　more　democratic　and　of　much　greater　benefit　to　society　than　that　of　making　the　whole　career　of　an　individual　depend　on　an　examination；　lasting　a　few　hours；　and　undergone　at　the　age　of　nineteen　or　twenty。


〃In　the　hospital；　the　mine；　the　factory；　in　the　architect's　or　the　lawyer's　office；　the　student；　who　makes　a　start　while　very　young；　goes　through　his　apprenticeship；　stage　by　stage；　much　as　does　with　us　a　law　clerk　in　his　office；　or　an　artist　in　his　studio。　　Previously；　and　before　making　a　practical　beginning；　he　has　had　an　opportunity　of　following　some　general　and　summary　course　of　instruction；　so　as　to　have　a　framework　ready　prepared　in　which　to　store　the　observations　he　is　shortly　to　make。　Furthermore　he　is　able；　as　a　rule；　to　avail　himself　of　sundry　technical　courses　which　he　can　follow　in　his　leisure　hours；　so　as　to　co…ordinate　step　by　step　the　daily　experience　he　is　gathering。　Under　such　a　system　the　practical　capabilities　increase　and　develop　of　themselves　in　exact　proportion　to　the　faculties　of　the　student；　and　in　the　direction　requisite　for　his　future　task　and　the　special　work　for　which　from　now　onwards　he　desires　to　fit　himself。　　By　this　means　in　England　or　the　United　States　a　young　man　is　quickly　in　a　position　to　develop　his　capacity　to　the　utmost。　　At　twenty…five　years　of　age；　and　much　sooner　if　the　material　and　the　parts　are　there；　he　is　not　merely　a　useful　performer；　he　is　capable　also　of　spontaneous　enterprise；　he　is　not　only　a　part　of　a　machine；　but　also　a　motor。　　In　France；　where　the　contrary　system　prevailsin　France；　which　with　each　succeeding　generation　is　falling　more　and　more　into　line　with　Chinathe　sum　total　of　the　wasted　forces　is　enormous。〃


The　great　philosopher　arrives　at　the　following　conclusion　with　respect　to　the　growing　incongruity　between　our　Latin　system　of　education　and　the　requirements　of　practical　life：


〃In　the　three　stages　of　instruction；　those　of　childhood；　adolescence　and　youth；　the　theoretical　and　pedagogic　preparation　by　books　on　the　school　benches　has　lengthened　out　and　become　overcharged　in　view　of　the　examination；　the　degree；　the　diploma；　and　the　certificate；　and　solely　in　this　view；　and　by　the　worst　methods；　by　the　application　of　an　unnatural　and　anti…social　regime；　by　the　excessive　postponement　of　the　practical　apprenticeship；　by　our　boarding…school　system；　by　artificial　training　and　mechanical　cramming；　by　overwork；　without　thought　for　the　time　that　is　to　follow；　for　the　adult　age　and　the　functions　of　the　man；　without　regard　for　the　real　world　on　which　the　young　man　will　shortly　be　thrown；　for　the　society　in　which　we　move　and　to　which　he　must　be　adapted　or　be　taught　to　resign　himself　in　advance；　for　the　struggle　in　which　humanity　is　engaged；　and　in　which　to　defend　himself　and　to　keep　his　footing　he　ought　previously　to　have　been　equipped；　armed；　trained；　and　hardened。　　This　indispensable　equipment；　this　acquisition　of　more　importance　than　any　other；　this　sturdy　common　sense　and　nerve　and　will…power　our　schools　do　not　procure　the　young　Frenchman；　on　the　contrary；　far　from　qualifying　him　for　his　approaching　and　definite　state；　they　disqualify　him。　　In　consequence；　his　entry　into　the　world　and　his　first　steps　in　the　field　of　action　are　most　often　merely　a　succession　of　painful　falls；　whose　effect　is　that　he　long　remains　wounded　and　bruised；　and　sometimes　disabled　for　life。　　The　test　is　severe　and　dangerous。　　In　the　course　of　it　the　mental　and　moral　equilibrium　is　affected；　and　runs　the　risk　of　not　being　re…established。　　Too　sudden　and　complete　disillusion　has　supervened。　　The　deceptions　have　been　too　great；　the　disappointments　too　keen。〃＇12＇


＇12＇　Taine；　〃Le　Regime　moderne；〃　vol。　ii。；　1894。　　These　pages　are　almost　the　last　that　Taine　wrote。　　They　resume　admirably　the　results　of　the　great　philosopher's　long　experience。　Unfortunately　they　are　in　my　opinion　totally　incomprehensible　for　such　of　our　university　professors　who　have　not　lived　abroad。　Education　is　the　only　means　at　our　disposal　of　influencing　to　some　extent　the　mind　of　a　nation；　and　it　is　profoundly　saddening　to　have　to　think　that　there　is　scarcely　any　one　in　France　who　can　arrive　at　understanding　that　our　present　system　of　teaching　is　a　grave　cause　of　rapid　decadence；　which　instead　of　elevating　our　youth；　lowers　and　perverts　it。

A　useful　comparison　may　be　made　between　Taine's　pages　and　the　observations　on　American　education　recently　made　by　M。　Paul　Bourget　in　his　excellent　book；　〃Outre…Mer。〃　　He；　too；　after　having　noted　that　our　education　merely　produces　narrow…minded　bourgeois；　lacking　in　initiative　and　will…power；　or　anarchists〃those　two　equally　harmful　types　of　the　civilised　man；　who　degenerates　into　impotent　platitude　or　insane　destructiveness〃he　too；　I　say；　draws　a　comparison　that　cannot　be　the　object　of　too　much　reflection　between　our　French　lycees　（public　schools）；　those　factories　of　degeneration；　and　the　American　schools；　which　prepare　a　man　admirably　for　life。　　The　gulf　existing　between　truly　democratic　nations　and　those　who　have　democracy　in　their　speeches；　but　in　no　wise　in　their　thoughts；　is　clearly　brought　out　in　this　comparison。



Have　we　digressed　in　what　precedes　from　the　psychology　of　crowds？　Assuredly　not。　　If　we　desire　to　understand　the　ideas　and　beliefs　that　are　germinating　to…day　in　the　masses；　and　will　spring　up　to…morrow；　it　is　necessary　to　know　how　the　ground　has　been　prepared。　　The　instruction　given　the　youth　of　a　country　allows　of　a　knowledge　of　what　that　country　will　one　day　be。　　The　education　accorded　the　present　generation　justifies　the　most　gloomy　previsions。　　It　is　in　part　by　instruction　and　education　that　the　mind　of　the　masses　is　improved　or　deteriorated。　　It　was　necessary　in　consequence　to　show　how　this　mind　has　been　fashioned　by　the　system　in　vogue；　and　how　the　mass　of　the　indifferent　and　the　neutral　has　become　progressively　an　army　of　the　discontented　ready　to　obey　all　the　suggestions　of　utopians　and　rhetoricians。　It　is　in　the　schoolroom　that　socialists　and　anarchists　are　found　nowadays；　and　that　the　way　is　being　paved　for　the　approaching　period　of　decadence　for　the　Latin　peoples。


CHAPTER　II

THE　IMMEDIATE　FACTORS　OF　THE　OPINIONS　OF　CROWDS

1。　IMAGES；　WORDS　AND　FORMULAE。　The　magical　power　of　words　and　formulaeThe　power　of　words　bound　up　with　the　images　they　evoke；　and　independent　of　their　real　senseThese　images　vary　from　age　to　age；　and　from　race　to　raceThe　wear　and　tear　of　wordsExamples　of　the　considerable　variations　of　sense　of　much…used　wordsThe　political　utility　of　baptizing　old　things　with　new　names　when　the　words　by　which　they　were　designated　produced　an　unfavourable　impression　on　the　masses　variations　of　the　sense　of　words　in　consequence　of　race　differencesThe　different　meanings　of　the　word　〃democracy〃　in　Europe　and　America。　2。　ILLUSIONS。　Their　importanceThey　are　to　be　found　at　the　root　of　all　civilisationsThe　social　necessity　of　illusionsCrowds　always　prefer　them　to　truths。　　　3。　EXPERIENCE。　Experience　alone　can　fix　in　the　mind　of　crowds　truths　become　necessary　and　destroy　illusions　grown　dangerousExperience　is　only　effective　on　the　condition　that　it　be　frequently　repeatedThe　cost　of　the　experiences　requisite　to　persuade　crowds。　　　4。　REASON。　The　nullity　of　its　influence　on　crowdsCrowds　only　to　be　influenced　by　their　unconscious　sentiments　The　role　of　logic　in　historyThe　secret　causes　of　improbable　events。


We　have　just　investigated　the　remote　and　preparatory　factors　which　give　the　mind　of　crowds　a　special　receptivity；　and　make　possible　therein　the　growth　of　certain　sentiments　and　certain　ideas。　　It　now　remains　for　us　to　study　the　factors　capable　of　acting　in　a　direct　manner。　　We　shall　see　in　a　forthcoming　chapter　how　these　factors　should　be　put　in　force　in　order　that　they　may　produce　their　full　effect。