the crowd-第4节

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the　case　of　hundreds　of　men　gathered　together　by　accident。　　On　the　other　hand；　an　entire　nation；　though　there　may　be　no　visible　agglomeration；　may　become　a　crowd　under　the　action　of　certain　influences。

A　psychological　crowd　once　constituted；　it　acquires　certain　provisional　but　determinable　general　characteristics。　　To　these　general　characteristics　there　are　adjoined　particular　characteristics　which　vary　according　to　the　elements　of　which　the　crowd　is　composed；　and　may　modify　its　mental　constitution。　Psychological　crowds；　then；　are　susceptible　of　classification；　and　when　we　come　to　occupy　ourselves　with　this　matter；　we　shall　see　that　a　heterogeneous　crowdthat　is；　a　crowd　composed　of　dissimilar　elementspresents　certain　characteristics　in　common　with　homogeneous　crowdsthat　is；　with　crowds　composed　of　elements　more　or　less　akin　（sects；　castes；　and　classes）and　side　by　side　with　these　common　characteristics　particularities　which　permit　of　the　two　kinds　of　crowds　being　differentiated。

But　before　occupying　ourselves　with　the　different　categories　of　crowds；　we　must　first　of　all　examine　the　characteristics　common　to　them　all。　　We　shall　set　to　work　like　the　naturalist；　who　begins　by　describing　the　general　characteristics　common　to　all　the　members　of　a　family　before　concerning　himself　with　the　particular　characteristics　which　allow　the　differentiation　of　the　genera　and　species　that　the　family　includes。

It　is　not　easy　to　describe　the　mind　of　crowds　with　exactness；　because　its　organisation　varies　not　only　according　to　race　and　composition；　but　also　according　to　the　nature　and　intensity　of　the　exciting　causes　to　which　crowds　are　subjected。　　The　same　difficulty；　however；　presents　itself　in　the　psychological　study　of　an　individual。　　It　is　only　in　novels　that　individuals　are　found　to　traverse　their　whole　life　with　an　unvarying　character。　It　is　only　the　uniformity　of　the　environment　that　creates　the　apparent　uniformity　of　characters。　　I　have　shown　elsewhere　that　all　mental　constitutions　contain　possibilities　of　character　which　may　be　manifested　in　consequence　of　a　sudden　change　of　environment。　　This　explains　how　it　was　that　among　the　most　savage　members　of　the　French　Convention　were　to　be　found　inoffensive　citizens　who；　under　ordinary　circumstances；　would　have　been　peaceable　notaries　or　virtuous　magistrates。　　The　storm　past；　they　resumed　their　normal　character　of　quiet；　law…abiding　citizens。　Napoleon　found　amongst　them　his　most　docile　servants。

It　being　impossible　to　study　here　all　the　successive　degrees　of　organisation　of　crowds；　we　shall　concern　ourselves　more　especially　with　such　crowds　as　have　attained　to　the　phase　of　complete　organisation。　　In　this　way　we　shall　see　what　crowds　may　become；　but　not　what　they　invariably　are。　　It　is　only　in　this　advanced　phase　of　organisation　that　certain　new　and　special　characteristics　are　superposed　on　the　unvarying　and　dominant　character　of　the　race；　then　takes　place　that　turning　already　alluded　to　of　all　the　feelings　and　thoughts　of　the　collectivity　in　an　identical　direction。　　It　is　only　under　such　circumstances；　too；　that　what　I　have　called　above　the　PSYCHOLOGICAL　LAW　OF　THE　MENTAL　UNITY　OF　CROWDS　comes　into　play。

Among　the　psychological　characteristics　of　crowds　there　are　some　that　they　may　present　in　common　with　isolated　individuals；　and　others；　on　the　contrary；　which　are　absolutely　peculiar　to　them　and　are　only　to　be　met　with　in　collectivities。　　It　is　these　special　characteristics　that　we　shall　study；　first　of　all；　in　order　to　show　their　importance。

The　most　striking　peculiarity　presented　by　a　psychological　crowd　is　the　following：　Whoever　be　the　individuals　that　compose　it；　however　like　or　unlike　be　their　mode　of　life；　their　occupations；　their　character；　or　their　intelligence；　the　fact　that　they　have　been　transformed　into　a　crowd　puts　them　in　possession　of　a　sort　of　collective　mind　which　makes　them　feel；　think；　and　act　in　a　manner　quite　different　from　that　in　which　each　individual　of　them　would　feel；　think；　and　act　were　he　in　a　state　of　isolation。　There　are　certain　ideas　and　feelings　which　do　not　come　into　being；　or　do　not　transform　themselves　into　acts　except　in　the　case　of　individuals　forming　a　crowd。　　The　psychological　crowd　is　a　provisional　being　formed　of　heterogeneous　elements；　which　for　a　moment　are　combined；　exactly　as　the　cells　which　constitute　a　living　body　form　by　their　reunion　a　new　being　which　displays　characteristics　very　different　from　those　possessed　by　each　of　the　cells　singly。

Contrary　to　an　opinion　which　one　is　astonished　to　find　coming　from　the　pen　of　so　acute　a　philosopher　as　Herbert　Spencer；　in　the　aggregate　which　constitutes　a　crowd　there　is　in　no　sort　a　summing…up　of　or　an　average　struck　between　its　elements。　　What　really　takes　place　is　a　combination　followed　by　the　creation　of　new　characteristics；　just　as　in　chemistry　certain　elements；　when　brought　into　contactbases　and　acids；　for　examplecombine　to　form　a　new　body　possessing　properties　quite　different　from　those　of　the　bodies　that　have　served　to　form　it。

It　is　easy　to　prove　how　much　the　individual　forming　part　of　a　crowd　differs　from　the　isolated　individual；　but　it　is　less　easy　to　discover　the　causes　of　this　difference。

To　obtain　at　any　rate　a　glimpse　of　them　it　is　necessary　in　the　first　place　to　call　to　mind　the　truth　established　by　modern　psychology；　that　unconscious　phenomena　play　an　altogether　preponderating　part　not　only　in　organic　life；　but　also　in　the　operations　of　the　intelligence。　　The　conscious　life　of　the　mind　is　of　small　importance　in　comparison　with　its　unconscious　life。　The　most　subtle　analyst；　the　most　acute　observer；　is　scarcely　successful　in　discovering　more　than　a　very　small　number　of　the　unconscious　motives　that　determine　his　conduct。　　Our　conscious　acts　are　the　outcome　of　an　unconscious　substratum　created　in　the　mind　in　the　main　by　hereditary　influences。　　This　substratum　consists　of　the　innumerable　common　characteristics　handed　down　from　generation　to　generation；　which　constitute　the　genius　of　a　race。　　Behind　the　avowed　causes　of　our　acts　there　undoubtedly　lie　secret　causes　that　we　do　not　avow；　but　behind　these　secret　causes　there　are　many　others　more　secret　still　which　we　ourselves　ignore。　　The　greater　part　of　our　daily　actions　are　the　result　of　hidden　motives　which　escape　our　observation。

It　is　more　especially　with　respect　to　those　unconscious　elements　which　constitute　the　genius　of　a　race　that　all　the　individuals　belonging　to　it　resemble　each　other；　while　it　is　principally　in　respect　to　the　conscious　elements　of　their　characterthe　fruit　of　education；　and　yet　more　of　exceptional　hereditary　conditionsthat　they　differ　from　each　other。　　Men　the　most　unlike　in　the　matter　of　their　intelligence　possess　instincts；　passions；　and　feelings　that　are　very　similar。　　In　the　case　of　every　thing　that　belongs　to　the　realm　of　sentimentreligion；　politics；　morality；　the　affections　and　antipathies；　&c。the　most　eminent　men　seldom　surpass　the　standard　of　the　most　ordinary　individuals。　　From　the　intellectual　point　of　view　an　abyss　may　exist　between　a　great　mathematician　and　his　boot　maker；　but　from　the　point　of　view　of　character　the　difference　is　most　often　slight　or　non…existent。

It　is　precisely　these　general　qualities　of　character；　governed　by　forces　of　which　we　are　unconscious；　and　possessed　by　the　majority　of　the　normal　individuals　of　a　race　in　much　the　same　degreeit　is　precisely　these　qualities；　I　say；　that　in　crowds　become　common　property。　　In　the　collective　mind　the　intellectual　aptitudes　of　the　individuals；　and　in　consequence　their　individuality；　are　weakened。　　The　heterogeneous　is　swamped　by　the　homogeneous；　and　the　unconscious　qualities　obtain　the　upper　hand。

This　very　fact　that　crowds　possess　in　common　ordinary　qualities　explains　why　they　can　never　accomplish　acts　demanding　a　high　degree　of　intelligence。　　The　decisions　affecting　matters　of　general　interest　come　to　by　an　assembly　of　men　of　distinction；　but　specialists　in　different　walks　of　life；　are　not　sensibly　superior　to　the　decisions　that　would　be　adopted　by　a　gathering　of　imbeciles。　　The　truth　is；　they　can　only　bring　to　bear　in　common　on　the　work　in　hand　those　mediocre　qualities　which　are　the　birthright　of　every　average　individual。　　In　crowds　it　is　stupidity　and　not　mother…wit　that　is　accumulated。　　It　is　not　all　the　world；　as　is　so　often　repeated；　that　has　more　wit　than　Voltaire；　but　assuredly　Voltaire　that　has　more　wit　than　all　the　world；　if　by　〃all　the　world〃　crowds　are　to　be　understood。

If　the　individuals　of　a　crowd　confined　themselves　to　putting　in　common　the　ordinary　qualities　of　which　each　of　them　has　his　share；　there　would　merely　result　the　striking　of　an　average；　and　not；　as　we　have　said　is　actually　the　case；　the　creation　of　new　characteristics。　　How　is　it　that　these　new　characteristics　are　created？　　This　is　what　we　are　now　to　investigate。

Different　causes　determine　the　appearance　of　these　characteristics　peculiar　to　crowds；　and　not　possessed　by　isolated　individuals。　　The　first　is　that　the　individual　forming　part　of　a　crowd　acquires；　solely　from　numerical　considerations；　a　sentiment　of　invincible　power　which　allows　him　to　yield　to　instincts　which；　had　he　been　alone；　he　would　perforce　have　kept　under　restraint。　He　will　be　the　les