the psychology of revolution-第14节

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All　the　passions　being　more　or　less　aroused；　including　ambition

and　vanity；　we　see　the　development　of　jealousy　and　envy　of　those

who　have　succeeded　more　quickly　than　others。



The　effect　of　jealousy；　always　important　in　times　of　revolution；

was　especially　so　during　the　great　French　Revolution。　　Jealousy

of　the　nobility　constituted　one　of　its　most　important　factors。　

The　middle　classes　had　increased　in　capacity　and　wealth；　to　the

point　of　surpassing　the　nobility。　　Although　they　mingled　with　the

nobles　more　and　more；　they　felt；　none　the　less；　that　they　were

held　at　a　distance；　and　this　they　keenly　resented。　　This　frame　of

mind　had　unconsciously　made　the　bourgeoisie　keen　supporters　of

the　philosophic　doctrine　of　equality。



Wounded　self…love　and　jealousy　were　thus　the　causes　of

hatreds　that　we　can　scarcely　conceive　today；　when　the　social

influence　of　the　nobility　is　so　small。　　Many　members　of　the

ConventionCarrier；　Marat；　and　othersremembered　with　anger

that　they　had　once　occupied　subordinate　positions　in　the

establishments　of　great　nobles。　　Mme。　Roland　was　never　able　to

forget　that；　when　she　and　her　mother　were　invited　to　the　house　of

a　great　lady　under　the　ancien　regime；　they　had　been　sent　to

dine　in　the　servants'　quarters。



The　philosopher　Rivarol　has　very　well　described　in　the　following

passage；　already　cited　by　Taine；　the　influence　of　wounded　self…

love　and　jealousy　upon　the　revolutionary　hatreds：



‘‘It　is　not；''　he　writes；　‘‘the　taxes；　nor　the　lettres　de

cachet；　nor　any　of　the　other　abuses　of　authority；　it　is　not　the

sins　of　the　intendants；　nor　the　long　and　ruinous　delays　of

justice；　that　has　most　angered　the　nation；　it　is　the　prejudices

of　the　nobility　for　which　it　has　exhibited　the　greatest　hatred。　

What　proves　this　clearly　is　the　fact　that　it　is　the　bourgeois；

the　men　of　letters；　the　men　of　money；　in　fact　all　those　who　are

jealous　of　the　nobility；　who　have　raised　the　poorer　inhabitants

of　the　cities　against　them；　and　the　peasants　in　the　country

districts。''



This　very　true　statement　partly　justifies　the　saying　of　Napoleon：



‘‘Vanity　made　the　Revolution；　liberty　was　only　the　pretext。''



Enthusiasm。The　enthusiasm　of　the　founders　of　the　Revolution

equalled　that　of　the　apostles　of　the　faith　of　Mohammed。　　And　it

was　really　a　religion　that　the　bourgeois　of　the　first　Assembly

thought　to　found。　　They　thought　to　have　destroyed　an　old

world；　and　to　have　built　a　new　one　upon　its　ruins。　　Never

did　illusion　more　seductive　fire　the　hearts　of　men。　　Equality　and

fraternity；　proclaimed　by　the　new　dogmas；　were　to　bring　the　reign

of　eternal　happiness　to　all　the　peoples。　　Man　had　broken　for　ever

with　a　past　of　barbarity　and　darkness。　　The　regenerated　world

would　in　future　be　illuminated　by　the　lucid　radiance　of　pure

reason。　　On　all　hands　the　most　brilliant　oratorical　formulae

saluted　the　expected　dawn。



That　this　enthusiasm　was　so　soon　replaced　by　violence　was　due　to

the　fact　that　the　awakening　was　speedy　and　terrible。　　One　can

readily　conceive　the　indignant　fury　with　which　the　apostles　of

the　Revolution　attacked　the　daily　obstacles　opposed　to　the

realisation　of　their　dreams。　　They　had　sought　to　reject　the　past；

to　forget　tradition；　to　make　man　over　again。　　But　the　past

reappeared　incessantly；　and　men　refused　to　change。　　The

reformers；　checked　in　their　onward　march；　would　not　give　in。　

They　sought　to　impose　by　force　a　dictatorship　which　speedily　made

men　regret　the　system　abolished；　and　finally　led　to　its　return。



It　is　to　be　remarked　that　although　the　enthusiasm　of　the　first

days　did　not　last　in　the　revolutionary　Assemblies；　it　survived

very　much　longer　in　the　armies；　and　constituted　their　chief

strength。　　To　tell　the　truth；　the　armies　of　the　Revolution　were

republican　long　before　France　became　so；　and　remained　republican

long　after　France　had　ceased　to　be　so。



The　variations　of　character　considered　in　this　chapter；　being

conditioned　by　certain　common　aspirations　and　identical　changes

of　environment；　finally　became　concrete　in　a　small　number

of　fairly　homogeneous　mentalities。　　Speaking　only　of　the　more

characteristic；　we　may　refer　them　to　four　types：　the　Jacobin；

mystic；　revolutionary；　and　criminal　mentalities。







CHAPTER　II



THE　MYSTIC　MENTALITY　AND　THE　JACOBIN　MENTALITY



1。　　Classification　of　Mentalities　predominant　in　Time　of

Revolution。



The　classifications　without　which　the　study　of　the　sciences　is

impossible　must　necessarily　establish　the　discontinuous　in　the

continuous；　and　for　that　reason　are　to　a　certain　extent

artificial。　　But　they　are　necessary；　since　the　continuous　is　only

accessible　in　the　form　of　the　discontinuous。



To　create　broad　distinctions　between　the　various　mentalities

observable　in　time　of　revolution；　as　we　are　about　to　do；　is

obviously　to　separate　elements　which　encroach　upon　one　another；

which　are　fused　or　superimposed。　　We　must　resign　ourselves　to

losing　a　little　in　exactitude　in　order　to　gain　in　lucidity。　　The

fundamental　types　enumerated　at　the　end　of　the　preceding　chapter；

and　which　we　are　about　to　describe；　synthetise　groups　which　would

escape　analysis　were　we　to　attempt　to　study　them　in　all　their

complexity。



We　have　shown　that　man　is　influenced　by　different　logics；　which

under　normal　conditions　exist　in　juxtaposition；　without　mutually

influencing　one　another。　　Under　the　action　of　various　events　they

enter　into　mutual　conflict；　and　the　irreducible　differences

which　divide　them　are　visibly　manifested；　involving　considerable

individual　and　social　upheavals。



Mystic　logic；　which　we　shall　presently　consider　as　it　appears　in

the　Jacobin　mind；　plays　a　very　important　part。　　But　it　is　not

alone　in　its　action。　　The　other　forms　of　logicaffective　logic；

collective　logic；　and　rational　logicmay　predominate　according

to　circumstances。





2。　　The　Mystic　Mentality。





Leaving　aside　for　the　moment　the　influence　of　affective；

rational；　and　collective　logic；　we　will　occupy　ourselves　solely

with　the　considerable　part　played　by　the　mystic　elements　which

have　prevailed　in　so　many　revolutions；　and　notably　in　the　French

Revolution。



The　chief　characteristic　of　the　mystic　temperament　consists　in

the　attribution　of　a　mysterious　power　to　superior　beings　or

forces；　which　are　incarnated　in　the　form　of　idols；　fetiches；

words；　or　formulae。



The　mystic　spirit　is　at　the　bottom　of　all　the　religious　and　most

political　beliefs。　　These　latter　would　often　vanish　could　we

deprive　them　of　the　mystic　elements　which　are　their　chief

support。



Grafted　on　the　sentiments　and　passionate　impulses　which　it

directs；　mystic　logic　constitutes　the　might　of　the　great　popular

movements。　　Men　who　would　be　by　no　means　ready　to　allow

themselves　to　be　killed　for　the　best　of　reasons　will　readily

sacrifice　their　lives　to　a　mystic　ideal　which　has　become　an

object　of　adoration。



The　principles　of　the　Revolution　speedily　inspired　a　wave　of

mystic　enthusiasm　analogous　to　those　provoked　by　the　various

religious　beliefs　which　had　preceded　it。　　All　they　did　was　to

change　the　orientation　of　a　mental　ancestry　which　the

centuries　had　solidified。



So　there　is　nothing　astonishing　in　the　savage　zeal　of　the　men　of

the　Convention。　　Their　mystic　mentality　was　the　same　as　that　of

the　Protestants　at　the　time　of　the　Reformation。　　The　principal

heroes　of　the　TerrorCouthon；　Saint…Just；　Robespierre；　&c。were

Apostles。　　Like　Polyeuctes；　destroying　the　altars　of　the　false

gods　to　propagate　his　faith；　they　dreamed　of　converting　the

globe。　　Their　enthusiasm　spilled　itself　over　the　earth。　

Persuaded　that　their　magnificent　formulae　were　sufficient　to

overturn　thrones；　they　did　not　hesitate　to　declare　war　upon

kings。　　And　as　a　strong　faith　is　always　superior　to　a　doubtful

faith；　they　victoriously　faced　all　Europe。



The　mystic　spirit　of　the　leaders　of　the　Revolution　was　betrayed

in　the　least　details　of　their　public　life。　　Robespierre；

convinced　that　he　was　supported　by　the　Almighty；　assured　his

hearers　in　a　speech　that　the　Supreme　Being　had　‘‘decreed　the

Republic　since　the　beginning　of　time。''　　In　his　quality　of　High

Pontiff　of　a　State　religion　he　made　the　Convention　vote　a　decree

declaring　that　‘‘the　French　People　recognises　the　existence　of

the　Supreme　Being　and　the　immortality　of　the　soul。''　　At　the

festival　of　this　Supreme　Being；　seated　on　a　kind　of　throne；　he

preached　a　lengthy　sermon。



The　Jacobin　Club；　directed　by　Robespierre；　finally　assumed　all

the　functions　of　a　council。　　There　Maximilien　proclaimed　‘‘the

idea　of　a　Great　Being　who　watches　over　oppressed　innocence　and

who　punishes　triumphant　crime。''



All　the　heretics　who　criticised　the　Jacobin　orthodoxy　were

excommunicatedthat　is；　were　sent　to　the　Revolutionary　Tribunal；

which　they　left　only　for　the　scaffold。



The　mystic　mentality　of　which　Robespierre　was　the　most　celebrated

representative　did　not　die　with