the crowd-第1章

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The　Crowd

by　Gustave　le　Bon




THE　CROWD　A　STUDY　OF　THE　POPULAR　MIND

BY　GUSTAVE　LE　BON　



The　following　work　is　devoted　to　an　account　of　the　characteristics　of　crowds。

The　whole　of　the　common　characteristics　with　which　heredity　endows　the　individuals　of　a　race　constitute　the　genius　of　the　race。　　When；　however；　a　certain　number　of　these　individuals　are　gathered　together　in　a　crowd　for　purposes　of　action；　observation　proves　that；　from　the　mere　fact　of　their　being　assembled；　there　result　certain　new　psychological　characteristics；　which　are　added　to　the　racial　characteristics　and　differ　from　them　at　times　to　a　very　considerable　degree。

Organised　crowds　have　always　played　an　important　part　in　the　life　of　peoples；　but　this　part　has　never　been　of　such　moment　as　at　present。　　The　substitution　of　the　unconscious　action　of　crowds　for　the　conscious　activity　of　individuals　is　one　of　the　principal　characteristics　of　the　present　age。

I　have　endeavoured　to　examine　the　difficult　problem　presented　by　crowds　in　a　purely　scientific　mannerthat　is；　by　making　an　effort　to　proceed　with　method；　and　without　being　influenced　by　opinions；　theories；　and　doctrines。　　This；　I　believe；　is　the　only　mode　of　arriving　at　the　discovery　of　some　few　particles　of　truth；　especially　when　dealing；　as　is　the　case　here；　with　a　question　that　is　the　subject　of　impassioned　controversy。　　A　man　of　science　bent　on　verifying　a　phenomenon　is　not　called　upon　to　concern　himself　with　the　interests　his　verifications　may　hurt。　　In　a　recent　publication　an　eminent　thinker；　M。　Goblet　d'Alviela；　made　the　remark　that；　belonging　to　none　of　the　contemporary　schools；　I　am　occasionally　found　in　opposition　of　sundry　of　the　conclusions　of　all　of　them。　　I　hope　this　new　work　will　merit　a　similar　observation。　　To　belong　to　a　school　is　necessarily　to　espouse　its　prejudices　and　preconceived　opinions。

Still　I　should　explain　to　the　reader　why　he　will　find　me　draw　conclusions　from　my　investigations　which　it　might　be　thought　at　first　sight　they　do　not　bear；　why；　for　instance；　after　noting　the　extreme　mental　inferiority　of　crowds；　picked　assemblies　included；　I　yet　affirm　it　would　be　dangerous　to　meddle　with　their　organisation；　notwithstanding　this　inferiority。

The　reason　is；　that　the　most　attentive　observation　of　the　facts　of　history　has　invariably　demonstrated　to　me　that　social　organisms　being　every　whit　as　complicated　as　those　of　all　beings；　it　is　in　no　wise　in　our　power　to　force　them　to　undergo　on　a　sudden　far…reaching　transformations。　　Nature　has　recourse　at　times　to　radical　measures；　but　never　after　our　fashion；　which　explains　how　it　is　that　nothing　is　more　fatal　to　a　people　than　the　mania　for　great　reforms；　however　excellent　these　reforms　may　appear　theoretically。　　They　would　only　be　useful　were　it　possible　to　change　instantaneously　the　genius　of　nations。　　This　power；　however；　is　only　possessed　by　time。　　Men　are　ruled　by　ideas；　sentiments；　and　customsmatters　which　are　of　the　essence　of　ourselves。　　Institutions　and　laws　are　the　outward　manifestation　of　our　character；　the　expression　of　its　needs。　　Being　its　outcome；　institutions　and　laws　cannot　change　this　character。

The　study　of　social　phenomena　cannot　be　separated　from　that　of　the　peoples　among　whom　they　have　come　into　existence。　　From　the　philosophic　point　of　view　these　phenomena　may　have　an　absolute　value；　in　practice　they　have　only　a　relative　value。

It　is　necessary；　in　consequence；　when　studying　a　social　phenomenon；　to　consider　it　successively　under　two　very　different　aspects。　　It　will　then　be　seen　that　the　teachings　of　pure　reason　are　very　often　contrary　to　those　of　practical　reason。　　There　are　scarcely　any　data；　even　physical；　to　which　this　distinction　is　not　applicable。　　From　the　point　of　view　of　absolute　truth　a　cube　or　a　circle　are　invariable　geometrical　figures；　rigorously　defined　by　certain　formulas。　　From　the　point　of　view　of　the　impression　they　make　on　our　eye　these　geometrical　figures　may　assume　very　varied　shapes。　　By　perspective　the　cube　may　be　transformed　into　a　pyramid　or　a　square；　the　circle　into　an　ellipse　or　a　straight　line。　　Moreover；　the　consideration　of　these　fictitious　shapes　is　far　more　important　than　that　of　the　real　shapes；　for　it　is　they　and　they　alone　that　we　see　and　that　can　be　reproduced　by　photography　or　in　pictures。　　In　certain　cases　there　is　more　truth　in　the　unreal　than　in　the　real。　　To　present　objects　with　their　exact　geometrical　forms　would　be　to　distort　nature　and　render　it　unrecognisable。　　If　we　imagine　a　world　whose　inhabitants　could　only　copy　or　photograph　objects；　but　were　unable　to　touch　them；　it　would　be　very　difficult　for　such　persons　to　attain　to　an　exact　idea　of　their　form。　　Moreover；　the　knowledge　of　this　form；　accessible　only　to　a　small　number　of　learned　men；　would　present　but　a　very　minor　interest。

The　philosopher　who　studies　social　phenomena　should　bear　in　mind　that　side　by　side　with　their　theoretical　value　they　possess　a　practical　value；　and　that　this　latter；　so　far　as　the　evolution　of　civilisation　is　concerned；　is　alone　of　importance。　　The　recognition　of　this　fact　should　render　him　very　circumspect　with　regard　to　the　conclusions　that　logic　would　seem　at　first　to　enforce　upon　him。

There　are　other　motives　that　dictate　to　him　a　like　reserve。　　The　complexity　of　social　facts　is　such；　that　it　is　impossible　to　grasp　them　as　a　whole　and　to　foresee　the　effects　of　their　reciprocal　influence。　　It　seems；　too；　that　behind　the　visible　facts　are　hidden　at　times　thousands　of　invisible　causes。　　Visible　social　phenomena　appear　to　be　the　result　of　an　immense；　unconscious　working；　that　as　a　rule　is　beyond　the　reach　of　our　analysis。　　Perceptible　phenomena　may　be　compared　to　the　waves；　which　are　the　expression　on　the　surface　of　the　ocean　of　deep…lying　disturbances　of　which　we　know　nothing。　　So　far　as　the　majority　of　their　acts　are　considered；　crowds　display　a　singularly　inferior　mentality；　yet　there　are　other　acts　in　which　they　appear　to　be　guided　by　those　mysterious　forces　which　the　ancients　denominated　destiny；　nature；　or　providence；　which　we　call　the　voices　of　the　dead；　and　whose　power　it　is　impossible　to　overlook；　although　we　ignore　their　essence。　　It　would　seem；　at　times；　as　if　there　were　latent　forces　in　the　inner　being　of　nations　which　serve　to　guide　them。　　What；　for　instance；　can　be　more　complicated；　more　logical；　more　marvellous　than　a　language？　Yet　whence　can　this　admirably　organised　production　have　arisen；　except　it　be　the　outcome　of　the　unconscious　genius　of　crowds？　The　most　learned　academics；　the　most　esteemed　grammarians　can　do　no　more　than　note　down　the　laws　that　govern　languages；　they　would　be　utterly　incapable　of　creating　them。　　Even　with　respect　to　the　ideas　of　great　men　are　we　certain　that　they　are　exclusively　the　offspring　of　their　brains？　　No　doubt　such　ideas　are　always　created　by　solitary　minds；　but　is　it　not　the　genius　of　crowds　that　has　furnished　the　thousands　of　grains　of　dust　forming　the　soil　in　which　they　have　sprung　up？

Crowds；　doubtless；　are　always　unconscious；　but　this　very　unconsciousness　is　perhaps　one　of　the　secrets　of　their　strength。　In　the　natural　world　beings　exclusively　governed　by　instinct　accomplish　acts　whose　marvellous　complexity　astounds　us。　　Reason　is　an　attribute　of　humanity　of　too　recent　date　and　still　too　imperfect　to　reveal　to　us　the　laws　of　the　unconscious；　and　still　more　to　take　its　place。　　The　part　played　by　the　unconscious　in　all　our　acts　is　immense；　and　that　played　by　reason　very　small。　The　unconscious　acts　like　a　force　still　unknown。

If　we　wish；　then；　to　remain　within　the　narrow　but　safe　limits　within　which　science　can　attain　to　knowledge；　and　not　to　wander　in　the　domain　of　vague　conjecture　and　vain　hypothesis；　all　we　must　do　is　simply　to　take　note　of　such　phenomena　as　are　accessible　to　us；　and　confine　ourselves　to　their　consideration。　Every　conclusion　drawn　from　our　observation　is；　as　a　rule；　premature；　for　behind　the　phenomena　which　we　see　clearly　are　other　phenomena　that　we　see　indistinctly；　and　perhaps　behind　these　latter；　yet　others　which　we　do　not　see　at　all。


CONTENTS


INTRODUCTION　THE　ERA　OF　CROWDS



BOOK　I　THE　MIND　OF　CROWDS


CHAPTER　I　GENERAL　CHARACTERISTICS　OF　CROWDS　PSYCHOLOGICAL　LAW　OF　THEIR　MENTAL　UNITY

CHAPTER　II　THE　SENTIMENTS　AND　MORALITY　OF　CROWDS


CHAPTER　III　THE　IDEAS；　REASONING　POWER；　AND　IMAGINATION　OF　CROWDS


CHAPTER　IV　A　RELIGIOUS　SHAPE　ASSUMED　BY　ALL　THE　CONVICTIONS　OF　CROWDS



BOOK　II　THE　OPINIONS　AND　BELIEFS　OF　CROWDS


CHAPTER　I　REMOTE　FACTORS　OF　THE　OPINIONS　AND　BELIEFS　OF　CROWDS


CHAPTER　II　THE　IMMEDIATE　FACTORS　OF　THE　OPINIONS　OF　CROWDS


CHAPTER　III　THE　LEADERS　OF　CROWDS　AND　THEIR　MEANS　OF　PERSUASION


CHAPTER　IV　LIMITATIONS　OF　THE　VARIABILITY　OF　THE　BELIEFS　AND　OPINIONS　OF　CROWDS



BOOK　III　THE　CLASSIFICATION　AND　DESCRIPTION　OF　THE　DIFFERENT　KINDS　OF　CROWDS


CHAPTER　I　THE　CLASSIFICATION　OF　CROWDS


CHAPTER　II　CROWDS　TERMED　CRIMINAL　CROWDS


CHAPTER　III　CRIMINAL　JURIES


CHAPTER　IV　ELECTORAL　CROWDS


CHAPTER　V　PARLIAMENTARY　ASSEMBLIES



INTRODUCTION。　THE　ERA　OF　CROWDS。

The　evolution　of　the　present　ageThe　great　changes　in　civilisation　are　the　consequence　of　changes　in　National　thoughtModern　belief　in　the　power　of　crowdsIt　transforms　the　traditional　policy　of　the　European　statesHow　the　rise　of　the　popular　classes　comes　about；　and　the　manner　in　which　they　exercise　their　powerThe　necessary　consequences　of　the　power　of　the　crowdCrowds　unable　to　play　a　part　other　than　destructiveThe　dissolution　of　worn…out　civilisations　is　the　work　of　the　crowdGeneral　ignorance　of　the　psychology　of　crowds　Importance　of　the　study　of　crowds　for　legislators　and　statesmen。


The　great　upheavals　which　precede　changes　of　civilisations　such　as　the　fall　of　the　Roman　Empire　and　the　foundation　of　the　Arabian　Empire；　seem　at　first　sight　determined　more　especially　by　political　transformations；　foreign　invasion；　or　the　overthrow　of　dynasties。　　But　a　more　attentive　study　of　these　events　shows　that　behind　their　apparent　causes　the　real　cause　is　generally　seen　to　be　a　profound　modification　in　the　ideas　of　the　peoples。　　The　true　historical　upheavals　are　not　those　which　astonish　us　by　their　grandeur　and　violence。　　The　only　important　changes　whence　the　renewal　of　civilisations　results；　affect　ideas；　conceptions；　and　beliefs。　　The　memorable　events　of　history　are　the　visible　effects　of　the　invisible　changes　of　human　thought。　　The　reason　these　great　events　are　so　rare　is　that　there　is　nothing　so　stable　in　a　race　as　the　inherited　groundwork　of　its　thoughts。

The　present　epoch　is　one　of　these　critical　moments　in　which　the　thought　of　mankind　is　undergoing　a　process　of　transformation。

Two　fundamental　factors　are　at　the　base　of　this　transformation。　The　first　is　the　destruction　of　those　religious；　political；　and　social　beliefs　in　which　all　the　elements　of　our　civilisation　are　rooted。　　The　second　is　the　creation　of　entirely　new　conditions　of　existence　and　thought　as　the　result　of　modern　scientific　and　industrial　discoveries。

The　ideas　of　the　past；　although　half　destroyed；　being　still　very　powerful；　and　the　ideas　which　are　to　replace　them　being　still　in　process　of　formation；　the　modern　age　represents　a　period　of　transition　and　anarchy。

It　is　not　easy　to　say　as　yet　wh