the psychology of revolution- 第15部分

and　enables　them　to　regard　themselves　as　great　reformers。



In　normal　times　the　rebels　which　every　society　contains　are

restrained　by　the　laws；　by　their　environmentin　short；　by　all

the　usual　social　constraints；　and　therefore　remain　undetected。　

But　as　soon　as　a　time　of　disturbance　begins　these　constraints

grow　weaker；　and　the　rebel　can　give　a　free　reign　to　his

instincts。　　He　then　becomes　the　accredited　leader　of　a　movement。　

The　motive　of　the　revolution　matters　little　to　him；　he　will　give

his　life　indifferently　for　the　red　flag　or　the　white；　or　for　the

liberation　of　a　country　which　he　has　heard　vaguely　mentioned。



The　revolutionary　spirit　is　not　always　pushed　to　the　extremes

which　render　it　dangerous。　　When；　instead　of　deriving　from

affective　or　mystic　impulses；　it　has　an　intellectual　origin；　it

may　become　a　source　of　progress。　　It　is　thanks　to　those　spirits

who　are　sufficiently　independent　to　be　intellectually

revolutionary　that　a　civilisation　is　able　to　escape　from　the　yoke

of　tradition　and　habit　when　this　becomes　too　heavy。　　The

sciences；　arts；　and　industries　especially　have　progressed　by

the　aid　of　such　men。　　Galileo；　Lavoisier；　Darwin；　and　Pasteur

were　such　revolutionaries。



Although　it　is　not　necessary　that　a　nation　should　possess　any

large　number　of　such　spirits；　it　is　very　necessary　that　it　should

possess　some。　　Without　them　men　would　still　be　living　in　caves。



The　revolutionary　audacity　which　results　in　discoveries　implies

very　rare　faculties。　　It　necessitates　notably　an　independence　of

mind　sufficient　to　escape　from　the　influence　of　current　opinions；

and　a　judgement　that　can　grasp；　under　superficial　analogies；　the

hidden　realities。　　This　form　of　revolutionary　spirit　is　creative；

while　that　examined　above　is　destructive。



The　revolutionary　mentality　may；　therefore；　be　compared　to

certain　physiological　states　in　the　life　of　the　individual　which

are　normally　useful；　but　which；　when　exaggerated；　take　a

pathological　form　which　is　always　hurtful。





2。　　The　Criminal　Mentality。





All　the　civilised　societies　inevitably　drag　behind　them　a　residue

of　degenerates；　of　the　unadapted；　of　persons　affected　by　various

taints。　　Vagabonds；　beggars；　fugitives　from　justice；　thieves；

assassins；　and　starving　creatures　that　live　from　day　to　day；　may

constitute　the　criminal　population　of　the　great　cities。　　In

ordinary　times　these　waste　products　of　civilisation　are　more　or

less　restrained　by　the　police。　　During　revolution　nothing

restrains　them；　and　they　can　easily　gratify　their　instincts　to

murder　and　plunder。　　In　the　dregs　of　society　the　revolutionaries

of　all　times　are　sure　of　finding　recruits。　　Eager　only　to　kill

and　to　plunder；　little　matters　to　them　the　cause　they　are

sworn　to　defend。　　If　the　chances　of　murder　and　pillage　are　better

in　the　party　attacked；　they　will　promptly　change　their　colours。



To　these　criminals；　properly　so　called；　the　incurable　plague　of

all　societies；　we　must　add　the　class　of　semi…criminals。　

Wrongdoers　on　occasion；　they　never　rebel　so　long　as　the　fear　of

the　established　order　restrains　them；　but　as　soon　as　it　weakens

they　enrol　themselves　in　the　army　of　revolution。



These　two　categorieshabitual　and　occasional　criminalsform　an

army　of　disorder　which　is　fit　for　nothing　but　the　creation　of

disorder。　　All　the　revolutionaries；　all　the　founders　of　religious

or　political　leagues；　have　constantly　counted　on　their　support。



We　have　already　stated　that　this　population；　with　its　criminal

mentality；　exercised　a　considerable　influence　during　the　French

Revolution。　　It　always　figured　in　the　front　rank　of　the　riots

which　occurred　almost　daily。　　Certain　historians　have　spoken　with

respect　and　emotion　of　the　way　in　which　the　sovereign　people

enforced　its　will　upon　the　Convention；　invading　the　hall　armed

with　pikes；　the　points　of　which　were　sometimes　decorated　with

newly　severed　heads。　　If　we　analyse　the　elements　composing　the

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　i