the psychology of revolution-第4节

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methods　have　revolutionised　them；　by　demonstrating　that

phenomena；　instead　of　being　conditioned　by　the　caprices　of　the

gods；　are　ruled　by　invariable　laws。



Such　revolutions　are　fittingly　spoken　of　as　evolution；　on　account

of　their　slowness。　　But　there　are　others　which；　although　of　the

same　order；　deserve　the　name　of　revolution　by　reason　of　their

rapidity：　we　may　instance　the　theories　of　Darwin；

overthrowing　the　whole　science　of　biology　in　a　few　years；　the

discoveries　of　Pasteur；　which　revolutionised　medicine　during　the

lifetime　of　their　author；　and　the　theory　of　the　dissociation　of

matter；　proving　that　the　atom；　formerly　supposed　to　be　eternal；

is　not　immune　from　the　laws　which　condemn　all　the　elements　of　the

universe　to　decline　and　perish。



These　scientific　revolutions　in　the　domain　of　ideas　are　purely

intellectual。　　Our　sentiments　and　beliefs　do　not　affect　them。　

Men　submit　to　them　without　discussing　them。　　Their　results　being

controllable　by　experience；　they　escape　all　criticism。





3。　　Political　Revolutions。





Beneath　and　very　remote　from　these　scientific　revolutions；　which

generate　the　progress　of　civilisations；　are　the　religious　and

political　revolutions；　which　have　no　kinship　with　them。　　While

scientific　revolutions　derive　solely　from　rational　elements；

political　and　religious　beliefs　are　sustained　almost　exclusively

by　affective　and　mystic　factors。　　Reason　plays　only　a　feeble　part

in　their　genesis。



I　insisted　at　some　length　in　my　book　Opinions　and　Beliefs　on

the　affective　and　mystic　origin　of　beliefs；　showing　that　a

political　or　religious　belief　constitutes　an　act　of　faith

elaborated　in　unconsciousness；　over　which；　in　spite　of　all

appearances；　reason　has　no　hold。　　I　also　showed　that　belief　often

reaches　such　a　degree　of　intensity　that　nothing　can　be　opposed　to

it。　　The　man　hypnotised　by　his　faith　becomes　an　Apostle；　ready　to

sacrifice　his　interests；　his　happiness；　and　even　his　life　for　the

triumph　of　his　faith。　　The　absurdity　of　his　belief　matters

little；　for　him　it　is　a　burning　reality。　　Certitudes　of　mystic

origin　possess　the　marvellous　power　of　entire　domination　over

thought；　and　can　only　be　affected　by　time。



By　the　very　fact　that　it　is　regarded　as　an　absolute　truth　a

belief　necessarily　becomes　intolerant。　　This　explains　the

violence；　hatred；　and　persecution　which　were　the　habitual

accompaniments　of　the　great　political　and　religious　revolutions；

notably　of　the　Reformation　and　the　French　Revolution。



Certain　periods　of　French　history　remain　incomprehensible　if　we

forget　the　affective　and　mystic　origin　of　beliefs；　their

necessary　intolerance；　the　impossibility　of　reconciling　them　when

they　come　into　mutual　contact；　and；　finally；　the　power　conferred

by　mystic　beliefs　upon　the　sentiments　which　place　themselves　at

their　service。



The　foregoing　conceptions　are　too　novel　as　yet　to　have　modified

the　mentality　of　the　historians。　　They　will　continue　to　attempt

to　explain；　by　means　of　rational　logic；　a　host　of　phenomena　which

are　foreign　to　it。



Events　such　as　the　Reformation；　which　overwhelmed　France　for　a

period　of　fifty　years；　were　in　no　wise　determined　by　rational

influences。　　Yet　rational　influences　are　always　invoked　in

explanation；　even　in　the　most　recent　works。　　Thus；　in　the

General　History　of　Messrs。　Lavisse　and　Rambaud；　we　read　the

following　explanation　of　the　Reformation：



‘‘It　was　a　spontaneous　movement；　born　here　and　there　amidst　the

people；　from　the　reading　of　the　Gospels　and　the　free　individual

reflections　which　were　suggested　to　simple　persons　by　an

extremely　pious　conscience　and　a　very　bold　reasoning　power。''



Contrary　to　the　assertion　of　these　historians；　we　may　say　with

certainty；　in　the　first　place；　that　such　movements　are　never

spontaneous；　and　secondly；　that　reason　takes　no　part　in　their

elaboration。



The　force　of　the　political　and　religious　beliefs　which　have　moved

the　world　resides　precisely　in　the　fact　that；　being　born　of

affective　and　mystic　elements；　they　are　neither　created　nor

directed　by　reason。



Political　or　religious　beliefs　have　a　common　origin　and　obey　the

same　laws。　　They　are　formed　not　with　the　aid　of　reason；　but　more

often　contrary　to　all　reason。　　Buddhism；　Islamism；　the

Reformation；　Jacobinism；　Socialism；　&c。；　seem　very　different

forms　of　thought。　　Yet　they　have　identical　affective　and　mystic

bases；　and　obey　a　logic　that　has　no　affinity　with　rational　logic。



Political　revolutions　may　result　from　beliefs　established　in　the

minds　of　men；　but　many　other　causes　produce　them。　　The　word

discontent　sums　them　up。　　As　soon　as　discontent　is　generalised　a

party　is　formed　which　often　becomes　strong　enough　to　struggle

against　the　Government。



Discontent　must　generally　have　been　accumulating　for　a　long　time

in　order　to　produce　its　effects。　　For　this　reason　a　revolution

does　not　always　represent　a　phenomenon　in　process　of　termination

followed　by　another　which　is　commencing　but　rather　a　continuous

phenomenon；　having　somewhat　accelerated　its　evolution。　　All　the

modern　revolutions；　however；　have　been　abrupt　movements；

entailing　the　instantaneous　overthrow　of　governments。　　Such；　for

example；　were　the　Brazilian；　Portuguese；　Turkish；　and　Chinese

revolutions。



To　the　contrary　of　what　might　be　supposed；　the　very　conservative

peoples　are　addicted　to　the　most　violent　revolutions。　　Being

conservative；　they　are　not　able　to　evolve　slowly；　or　to　adapt

themselves　to　variations　of　environment；　so　that　when　the

discrepancy　becomes　too　extreme　they　are　bound　to　adapt

themselves　suddenly。　　This　sudden　evolution　constitutes　a

revolution。



Peoples　able　to　adapt　themselves　progressively　do　not　always

escape　revolution。　　It　was　only　by　means　of　a　revolution　that　the

English；　in　1688；　were　able　to　terminate　the　struggle　which　had

dragged　on　for　a　century　between　the　monarchy；　which　sought　to

make　itself　absolute；　and　the　nation；　which　claimed　the　right　to

govern　itself　through　the　medium　of　its　representatives。



The　great　revolutions　have　usually　commenced　from　the　top；　not

from　the　bottom；　but　once　the　people　is　unchained　it　is　to　the

people　that　revolution　owes　its　might。



It　is　obvious　that　revolutions　have　never　taken　place；　and　will

never　take　place；　save　with　the　aid　of　an　important　fraction　of

the　army。　　Royalty　did　not　disappear　in　France　on　the　day　when

Louis　XVI。　was　guillotined；　but　at　the　precise　moment　when　his

mutinous　troops　refused　to　defend　him。



It　is　more　particularly　by　mental　contagion　that　armies　become

disaffected；　being　indifferent　enough　at　heart　to　the　established

order　of　things。　　As　soon　as　the　coalition　of　a　few　officers　had

succeeded　in　overthrowing　the　Turkish　Government　the　Greek

officers　thought　to　imitate　them　and　to　change　their　government；

although　there　was　no　analogy　between　the　two　regimes。



A　military　movement　may　overthrow　a　governmentand　in　the

Spanish　republics　the　Government　is　hardly　ever　destroyed　by　any

other　meansbut　if　the　revolution　is　to　be　productive　of　great

results　it　must　always　be　based　upon　general　discontent　and

general　hopes。



Unless　it　is　universal　and　excessive；　discontent　alone　is　not

sufficient　to　bring　about　a　revolution。　　It　is　easy　to　lead　a

handful　of　men　to　pillage；　destroy；　and　massacre；　but　to　raise　a

whole　people；　or　any　great　portion　of　that　people；　calls　for　the

continuous　or　repeated　action　of　leaders。　　These　exaggerate　the

discontent；　they　persuade　the　discontented　that　the　government　is

the　sole　cause　of　all　the　trouble；　especially　of　the　prevailing

dearth；　and　assure　men　that　the　new　system　proposed　by　them　will

engender　an　age　of　felicity。　　These　ideas　germinate；　propagating

themselves　by　suggestion　and　contagion；　and　the　moment　arrives

when　the　revolution　is　ripe。



In　this　fashion　the　Christian　Revolution　and　the　French

Revolution　were　prepared。　　That　the　latter　was　effected　in　a　few

years；　while　the　first　required　many；　was　due　to　the　fact　that

the　French　Revolution　promptly　had　an　armed　force　at　its

disposal；　while　Christianity　was　long　in　winning　material　power。　

In　the　beginning　its　only　adepts　were　the　lowly；　the　poor；　and

the　slaves；　filled　with　enthusiasm　by　the　prospect　of　seeing

their　miserable　life　transformed　into　an　eternity　of　delight。　　By

a　phenomenon　of　contagion　from　below；　of　which　history　affords　us

more　than　one　example；　the　doctrine　finally　invaded　the　upper

strata　of　the　nation；　but　it　was　a　long　time　before　an

emperor　considered　the　new　faith　sufficiently　widespread　to　be

adopted　as　the　official　religion。





4。　　The　Results　of　Political　Revolutions。





When　a　political　party　is　triumphant　it　naturally　seeks　to

organise　society　in　accordance　with　its　interests。　　The

organisation　will　differ　accordingly　as　the　revolution　has　been

effected　by　the　soldiers；　the　Radicals；　or　the　Conservatives；　&c。



The　new　laws