the psychology of revolution-第17节

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pretended　delegations　of　the　sovereign　people；　we　shall　find

that；　apart　from　a　small　number　of　simple　souls　who　submitted　to

the　impulses　of　the　leaders；　the　mass　was　almost　entirely　formed

of　the　bandits　of　whom　I　have　been　speaking。　　To　them　were　due

the　innumerable　murders　of　which　the　massacres　of　September　and

the　killing　of　the　Princesse　de　Lamballe　were　merely　typical。



They　terrorised　all　the　great　Assemblies；　from　the　Constituent

Assembly　to　the　Convention；　and　for　ten　years　they　helped　to

ravage　France。　　If　by　some　miracle　this　army　of　criminals　could

have　been　eliminated；　the　progress　of　the　Revolution　would　have

been　very　different。　　They　stained　it　with　blood　from　its　dawn　to

its　decline。　　Reason　could　do　nothing　with　them　but　they　could　do

much　against　reason。







CHAPTER　IV



THE　PSYCHOLOGY　OF　REVOLUTIONARY　CROWDS



1。　　General　Characteristics　of　the　Crowd。



Whatever　their　origin；　revolutions　do　not　produce　their　full

effects　until　they　have　penetrated　the　soul　of　the　multitude。　

They　therefore　represent　a　consequence　of　the　psychology　of

crowds。



Although　I　have　studied　collective　psychology　at　length　in

another　volume；　I　must　here　recall　its　principal　laws。



Man；　as　part　of　a　multitude；　is　a　very　different　being　from　the

same　man　as　an　isolated　individual。　　His　conscious　individuality

vanishes　in　the　unconscious　personality　of　the　crowd。



Material　contact　is　not　absolutely　necessary　to　produce　in　the

individual　the　mentality　of　the　crowd。　　Common　passions　and

sentiments；　provoked　by　certain　events；　are　often　sufficient　to

create　it。



The　collective　mind；　momentarily　formed；　represents　a　very

special　kind　of　aggregate。　　Its　chief　peculiarity　is　that　it　is

entirely　dominated　by　unconscious　elements；　and　is　subject　to　a

peculiar　collective　logic。



Among　the　other　characteristics　of　crowds；　we　must　note　their

infinite　credulity　and　exaggerated　sensibility；　their　short…

sightedness；　and　their　incapacity　to　respond　to　the　influences　of

reason。　　Affirmation；　contagion；　repetition；　and　prestige

constitute　almost　the　only　means　of　persuading　them。　　Reality　and

experience　have　no　effect　upon　them。　　The　multitude　will　admit

anything；　nothing　is　impossible　in　the　eyes　of　the　crowd。



By　reason　of　the　extreme　sensibility　of　crowds；　their　sentiments；

good　or　bad；　are　always　exaggerated。　　This　exaggeration　increases

still　further　in　times　of　revolution。　　The　least　excitement　will

then　lead　the　multitude　to　act　with　the　utmost　fury。　　Their

credulity；　so　great　even　in　the　normal　state；　is　still　further

increased；　the　most　improbable　statements　are　accepted。　　Arthur

Young　relates　that　when　he　visited　the　springs　near　Clermont；　at

the　time　of　the　French　Revolution；　his　guide　was　stopped　by　the

people；　who　were　persuaded　that　he　had　come　by　order　of　the　Queen

to　mine　and　blow　up　the　town。　　The　most　horrible　tales　concerning

the　Royal　Family　were　circulated；　depicting　it　as　a　nest　of

ghouls　and　vampires。



These　various　characteristics　show　that　man　in　the　crowd　descends

to　a　very　low　degree　in　the　scale　of　civilisation。　　He　becomes　a

savage；　with　all　a　savage's　faults　and　qualities；　with　all　his

momentary　violence；　enthusiasm；　and　heroism。　　In　the　intellectual

domain　a　crowd　is　always　inferior　to　the　isolated　unit。　　In　the

moral　and　sentimental　domain　it　may　be　his　superior。　　A　crowd

will　commit　a　crime　as　readily　as　an　act　of　abnegation。



Personal　characteristics　vanish　in　the　crowd；　which　exerts　an

extraordinary　influence　upon　the　individuals　which　form　it。　　The

miser　becomes　generous；　the　sceptic　a　believer；　the　honest

man　a　criminal；　the　coward　a　hero。　　Examples　of　such

transformations　abounded　during　the　great　Revolution。



As　part　of　a　jury　or　a　parliament；　the　collective　man　renders

verdicts　or　passes　laws　of　which　he　would　never　have　dreamed　in

his　isolated　condition。



One　of　the　most　notable　consequences　of　the　influence　of　a

collectivity　upon　the　individuals　who　compose　it　is　the

unification　of　their　sentiments　and　wills。　　This　psychological

unity　confers　a　remarkable　force　upon　crowds。



The　formation　of　such　a　mental　unity　results　chiefly　from　the

fact　that　in　a　crowd　gestures　and　actions　are　extremely

contagious。　　Acclamations　of　hatred；　fury；　or　love　are

immediately　approved　and　repeated。



What　is　the　origin　of　these　common　sentiments；　this　common　will？　

They　are　propagated　by　contagion；　but　a　point　of　departure　is

necessary　before　this　contagion　can　take　effect。　　Without　a

leader　the　crowd　is　an　amorphous　entity　incapable　of　action。



A　knowledge　of　the　laws　relating　to　the　psychology　of　crowds　is

indispensable　to　the　interpretation　of　the　elements　of　our

Revolution；　and　to　a　comprehension　of　the　conduct　of

revolutionary　assemblies；　and　the　singular　transformations　of　the

individuals　who　form　part　of　them。　　Pushed　by　the　unconscious

forces　of　the　collective　soul；　they　more　often　than　not　say　what

they　did　not　intend；　and　vote　what　they　would　not　have　wished　to

vote。



Although　the　laws　of　collective　psychology　have　sometimes　been

divined　instinctively　by　superior　statesmen；　the　majority　of

Governments　have　not　understood　and　do　not　understand

them。　　It　is　because　they　do　not　understand　them　that　so　many　of

them　have　fallen　so　easily。　　When　we　see　the　facility　with　which

certain　Governments　were　overthrown　by　an　insignificant　riotas

happened　in　the　case　of　the　monarchy　of　Louis…Philippethe

dangers　of　an　ignorance　of　collective　psychology　are　evident。　

The　marshal　in　command　of　the　troops　in　1848；　which　were　more

than　sufficient　to　defend　the　king；　certainly　did　not　understand

that　the　moment　he　allowed　the　crowd　to　mingle　with　the　troops

the　latter；　paralysed　by　suggestion　and　contagion；　would　cease　to

do　their　duty。　　Neither　did　he　know　that　as　the　multitude　is

extremely　sensible　to　prestige　it　needs　a　great　display　of　force

to　impress　it；　and　that　such　a　display　will　at　once　suppress

hostile　demonstrations。　　He　was　equally　ignorant　of　the　fact　that

all　gatherings　should　be　dispersed　immediately。　　All　these　things

have　been　taught　by　experience；　but　in　1848　these　lessons　had　not

been　grasped。　　At　the　time　of　the　great　Revolution　the　psychology

of　crowds　was　even　less　understood。





2。　　How　the　Stability　of　the　Racial　Mind　limits　the　Oscillations

of　the　Mind　of　the　Crowd。





A　people　can　in　a　sense　be　likened　to　a　crowd。　　It　possesses

certain　characteristics；　but　the　oscillations　of　these

characteristics　are　limited　by　the　soul　or　mind　of　the　race。　　The

mind　of　the　race　has　a　fixity　unknown　to　the　transitory　mind　of

the　crowd。



When　a　people　possesses　an　ancestral　soul　established　by　a　long

past　the　soul　of　the　crowd　is　always　dominated　thereby。



A　people　differs　from　a　crowd　also　in　that　it　is　composed　of　a

collection　of　groups；　each　having　different　interests　and

passions。　　In　a　crowd　properly　so…calleda　popular　assembly；　for

examplethere　are　unities　which　may　belong　to　very　different

social　categories。



A　people　sometimes　seems　as　mobile　as　a　crowd；　but　we　must　not

forget　that　behind　its　mobility；　its　enthusiasms；　its　violence

and　destructiveness；　the　extremely　tenacious　and　conservative

instincts　of　the　racial　mind　persist。　　The　history　of　the

Revolution　and　the　century　which　has　followed　shows　how　the

conservative　spirit　finally　overcomes　the　spirit　of　destruction。　

More　than　one　system　of　government　which　the　people　has　shattered

has　been　restored　by　the　people。



It　is　not　as　easy　to　work　upon　the　mind　of　the　peoplethat　is；

the　mind　of　the　raceas　on　the　mind　of　a　crowd。　　The　means　of

action　are　indirect　and　slower　（journals；　conferences；　speeches；

books；　&c。）。　　The　elements　of　persuasion　always　come　under　the

headings　already　given：　affirmation；　repetition；　prestige；　and

contagion。



Mental　contagion　may　affect　a　whole　people　instantaneously；　but

more　often　it　operates　slowly；　creeping　from　group　to　group。　

Thus　was　the　Reformation　propagated　in　France。



A　people　is　far　less　excitable　than　a　crowd；　but　certain　events

national　insults；　threats　of　invasion；　&c。may　arouse　it

instantly。　　Such　a　phenomenon　was　observed　on　several　occasions

during　the　Revolution；　notably　at　the　time　of　the　insolent

manifesto　issued　by　the　Duke　of　Brunswick。　　The　Duke　knew　little

indeed　of　the　psychology　of　the　French　race　when　he

proffered　his　threats。　　Not　only　did　he　considerably　prejudice

the　cause　of　Louis　XVI。；　but　he　also　damaged　his　own；　since　his

intervention　raised　from　the　soil　an　army　eager　to　fight　him。



This　sudden　explosion　of　feeling　throughout　a　whole　race　has　been

observed　in　all　nations。　　Napoleon　did　not　understand　the　power

of　such　explosions　when　he　invaded　Spain　and　Russia。　　One　may

easily　disaggregate　the　facile　mind　of　a　crowd；　but　one　can　do

nothing　before　the　permanent　soul　of　a　race。　　Cer