the psychology of revolution-第13章

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The　majority　of　historians　have　adopted　this　rationalist

conception　of　the　Jacobin　mind；　and　Taine　fell　into　the　same

error。　　It　is　in　the　abuse　of　rationalism　that　he　seeks　the

origin　of　a　great　proportion　of　the　acts　of　the　Jacobins。　　The

pages　in　which　he　has　dealt　with　the　subject　contain　many　truths；

however；　and　as　they　are　in　other　ways　very　remarkable；　I

reproduce　the　most　important　passages　here：



‘‘Neither　exaggerated　self…love　nor　dogmatic　reasoning　is

rare　in　the　human　species。　　In　all　countries　these　two　roots　of

the　Jacobin　spirit　subsist；　secret　and　indestructible。　。　。　。　　At

twenty　years　of　age；　when　a　young　man　is　entering　into　the　world；

his　reason　is　stimulated　simultaneously　with　his　pride。　In　the

first　place；　whatever　society　he　may　move　in；　it　is　contemptible

to　pure　reason；　for　it　has　not　been　constructed　by　a　philosophic

legislator　according　to　a　principle；　but　successive　generations

have　arranged　it　according　to　their　multiple　and　ever…changing

needs。　　It　is　not　the　work　of　logic；　but　of　history；　and　the

young　reasoner　shrugs　his　shoulders　at　the　sight　of　this　old

building；　whose　site　is　arbitrary；　whose　architecture　is

incoherent；　and　whose　inconveniences　are　obvious。　。　。　。　　The

majority　of　young　people；　above　all　those　who　have　their　way　to

make；　are　more　or　less　Jacobin　on　leaving　college。　。　。　。　

Jacobinism　is　born　of　social　decomposition　just　as　mushrooms　are

born　of　a　fermenting　soil。　　Consider　the　authentic　monuments　of

its　thoughtthe　speeches　of　Robespierre　and　Saint…Just；　the

debates　of　the　Legislative　Assembly　and　the　Convention；　the

harangues；　addresses；　and　reports　of　Girondists　and　Montagnards。　

Never　did　men　speak　so　much　to　say　so　little；　the　empty　verbiage

and　swollen　emphasis　swamp　any　truth　there　may　be　beneath　their

monotony　and　their　turgidity。　　The　Jacobin　is　full　of　respect　for

the　phantoms　of　his　reasoning　brain；　in　his　eyes　they　are　more

real　than　living　men；　and　their　suffrage　is　the　only　suffrage　he

recogniseshe　will　march　onward　in　all　sincerity　at　the　head　of

a　procession　of　imaginary　followers。　　The　millions　of

metaphysical　wills　which　he　has　created　in　the　image　of　his　own

will　sustain　him　by　their　unanimous　assent；　and　he　will

project　outwards；　like　a　chorus　of　triumph　and　acclamation；　the

inward　echo　of　his　own　voice。''



While　admiring　Taine's　description；　I　think　he　has　not　exactly

grasped　the　psychology　of　the　Jacobin。



The　mind　of　the　true　Jacobin；　at　the　time　of　the　Revolution　as

now；　was　composed　of　elements　which　we　must　analyse　if　we　are　to

understand　its　function。



This　analysis　will　show　in　the　first　place　that　the　Jacobin　is

not　a　rationalist；　but　a　believer。　　Far　from　building　his　belief

on　reason；　he　moulds　reason　to　his　belief；　and　although　his

speeches　are　steeped　in　rationalism　he　employs　it　very　little　in

his　thoughts　and　his　conduct。



A　Jacobin　who　reasoned　as　much　as　he　is　accused　of　reasoning

would　be　sometimes　accessible　to　the　voice　of　reason。　　Now；

observation　proves；　from　the　time　of　the　Revolution　to　our　own

days；　that　the　Jacobin　is　never　influenced　by　reasoning；　however

just；　and　it　is　precisely　here　that　his　strength　resides。



And　why　is　he　not　accessible　to　reason？　　Simply　because　his

vision　of　things；　always　extremely　limited；　does　not　permit　of

his　resisting　the　powerful　and　passionate　impulses　which　guide

him。



These　two　elements；　feeble　reason　and　strong　passions；　would　not

of　themselves　constitute　the　Jacobin　mind。　　There　is　another。



Passion　supports　convictions；　but　hardly　ever　creates　them。　　Now；

the　true　Jacobin　has　forcible　convictions。　　What　is　to　sustain

them？　　Here　the　mystic　elements　whose　action　we　have　already

studied　come　into　play。　　The　Jacobin　is　a　mystic　who　has

replaced　the　old　divinities　by　new　gods。　　Imbued　with　the　power

of　words　and　formulae；　he　attributes　to　these　a　mysterious

power。　　To　serve　these　exigent　divinities　he　does　not　shrink　from

the　most　violent　measures。　　The　laws　voted　by　our　modern　Jacobins

furnish　a　proof　of　this　fact。



The　Jacobin　mentality　is　found　especially　in　narrow　and

passionate　characters。　　It　implies；　in　fact；　a　narrow　and　rigid

mind；　inaccessible　to　all　criticism　and　to　all　considerations　but

those　of　faith。



The　mystic　and　affective　elements　which　dominate　the　mind　of　the

Jacobin　condemn　him　to　an　extreme　simplicity。　　Grasping　only　the

superficial　relations　of　things；　nothing　prevents　him　from　taking

for　realities　the　chimerical　images　which　are　born　of　his

imagination。　　The　sequence　of　phenomena　and　their　results　escape

him。　　He　never　raises　his　eyes　from　his　dream。



As　we　may　see；　it　is　not　by　the　development　of　his　logical　reason

that　the　Jacobin　exceeds。　　He　possesses　very　little　logic　of　this

kind；　and　therefore　he　often　becomes　dangerous。　　Where　a　superior

man　would　hesitate　or　halt　the　Jacobin；　who　has　placed　his　feeble

reason　at　the　service　of　his　impulses；　goes　forward　with

certainty。



So　that　although　the　Jacobin　is　a　great　reasoner；　this　does　not

mean　that　he　is　in　the　least　guided　by　reason。　　When　he　imagines

he　is　being　led　by　reason　it　is　really　his　passions　and　his

mysticism　that　lead　him。　　Like　all　those　who　are　convinced　and

hemmed　in　by　the　walls　of　faith；　he　can　never　escape　therefrom。



A　true　aggressive　theologian；　he　is　astonishingly　like　the

disciples　of　Calvin　described　in　a　previous　chapter。　　Hypnotised

by　their　faith；　nothing　could　deter　them　from　their　object。　　All

those　who　contradicted　their　articles　of　faith　were　considered

worthy　of　death。　　They　too　seemed　to　be　powerful　reasoners。　

Ignorant；　like　the　Jacobins；　of　the　secret　forces　that　led　them；

they　believed　that　reason　was　their　sole　guide；　while　in　reality

they　were　the　slaves　of　mysticism　and　passion。



The　truly　rationalistic　Jacobin　would　be　incomprehensible；　and

would　merely　make　reason　despair。　　The　passionate　and　mystical

Jacobin　is；　on　the　contrary；　easily　intelligible。



With　these　three　elementsa　very　weak　reasoning　power；　very

strong　passions；　and　an　intense　mysticismwe　have　the　true

psychological　components　of　the　mind　of　the　Jacobin。







CHAPTER　III



THE　REVOLUTIONARY　AND　CRIMINAL　MENTALITIES



1。　　The　Revolutionary　Mentality。



We　have　just　seen　that　the　mystic　elements　are　one　of　the

components　of　the　Jacobin　mentality。　　We　shall　now　see　that　they

enter　into　another　form　of　mentality　which　is　also　clearly

defined；　the　revolutionary　mentality。



In　all　ages　societies　have　contained　a　certain　number　of　restless

spirits；　unstable　and　discontented；　ready　to　rebel　against　any

established　order　of　affairs。　　They　are　actuated　by　the　mere　love

of　revolt；　and　if　some　magic　power　could　realise　all　their

desires　they　would　simply　revolt　again。



This　special　mentality　often　results　from　a　faulty　adaptation　of

the　individual　to　his　surroundings；　or　from　an　excess　of

mysticism；　but　it　may　also　be　merely　a　question　of　temperament　or

arise　from　pathological　disturbances。



The　need　of　revolt　presents　very　different　degrees　of　intensity；

from　simple　discontent　expressed　in　words　directed　against　men

and　things　to　the　need　of　destroying　them。　　Sometimes　the

individual　turns　upon　himself　the　revolutionary　frenzy　that　he

cannot　otherwise　exercise。　　Russia　is　full　of　these　madmen；

who；　not　content　with　committing　arson　or　throwing　bombs　at

hazard　into　the　crowd；　finally　mutilate　themselves；　like　the

Skopzis　and　other　analogous　sects。



These　perpetual　rebels　are　generally　highly　suggestible　beings；

whose　mystic　mentality　is　obsessed　by　fixed　ideas。　　Despite　the

apparent　energy　indicated　by　their　actions　they　are　really　weak

characters；　and　are　incapable　of　mastering　themselves

sufficiently　to　resist　the　impulses　that　rule　them。　　The　mystic

spirit　which　animates　them　furnishes　pretexts　for　their　violence；

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。