the crowd-第11章

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n　a　level　with　his　legendary　reputation。

It　is　thus　a　very　useless　commonplace　to　assert　that　a　religion　is　necessary　for　the　masses；　because　all　political；　divine；　and　social　creeds　only　take　root　among　them　on　the　condition　of　always　assuming　the　religious　shapea　shape　which　obviates　the　danger　of　discussion。　　Were　it　possible　to　induce　the　masses　to　adopt　atheism；　this　belief　would　exhibit　all　the　intolerant　ardour　of　a　religious　sentiment；　and　in　its　exterior　forms　would　soon　become　a　cult。　　The　evolution　of　the　small　Positivist　sect　furnishes　us　a　curious　proof　in　point。　　What　happened　to　the　Nihilist　whose　story　is　related　by　that　profound　thinker　Dostoiewsky　has　quickly　happened　to　the　Positivists。　　Illumined　one　day　by　the　light　of　reason　he　broke　the　images　of　divinities　and　saints　that　adorned　the　altar　of　a　chapel；　extinguished　the　candles；　and；　without　losing　a　moment；　replaced　the　destroyed　objects　by　the　works　of　atheistic　philosophers　such　as　Buchner　and　Moleschott；　after　which　he　piously　relighted　the　candles。　The　object　of　his　religious　beliefs　had　been　transformed；　but　can　it　be　truthfully　said　that　his　religious　sentiments　had　changed？

Certain　historical　eventsand　they　are　precisely　the　most　importantI　again　repeat；　are　not　to　be　understood　unless　one　has　attained　to　an　appreciation　of　the　religious　form　which　the　convictions　of　crowds　always　assume　in　the　long　run。　　There　are　social　phenomena　that　need　to　be　studied　far　more　from　the　point　of　view　of　the　psychologist　than　from　that　of　the　naturalist。　The　great　historian　Taine　has　only　studied　the　Revolution　as　a　naturalist；　and　on　this　account　the　real　genesis　of　events　has　often　escaped　him。　　He　has　perfectly　observed　the　facts；　but　from　want　of　having　studied　the　psychology　of　crowds　he　has　not　always　been　able　to　trace　their　causes。　　The　facts　having　appalled　him　by　their　bloodthirsty；　anarchic；　and　ferocious　side；　he　has　scarcely　seen　in　the　heroes　of　the　great　drama　anything　more　than　a　horde　of　epileptic　savages　abandoning　themselves　without　restraint　to　their　instincts。　　The　violence　of　the　Revolution；　its　massacres；　its　need　of　propaganda；　its　declarations　of　war　upon　all　things；　are　only　to　be　properly　explained　by　reflecting　that　the　Revolution　was　merely　the　establishment　of　a　new　religious　belief　in　the　mind　of　the　masses。　　The　Reformation；　the　massacre　of　Saint　Bartholomew；　the　French　religious　wars；　the　Inquisition；　the　Reign　of　Terror　are　phenomena　of　an　identical　kind；　brought　about　by　crowds　animated　by　those　religious　sentiments　which　necessarily　lead　those　imbued　with　them　to　pitilessly　extirpate　by　fire　and　sword　whoever　is　opposed　to　the　establishment　of　the　new　faith。　　The　methods　of　the　Inquisition　are　those　of　all　whose　convictions　are　genuine　and　sturdy。　　Their　convictions　would　not　deserve　these　epithets　did　they　resort　to　other　methods。

Upheavals　analogous　to　those　I　have　just　cited　are　only　possible　when　it　is　the　soul　of　the　masses　that　brings　them　about。　　The　most　absolute　despots　could　not　cause　them。　　When　historians　tell　us　that　the　massacre　of　Saint　Bartholomew　was　the　work　of　a　king；　they　show　themselves　as　ignorant　of　the　psychology　of　crowds　as　of　that　of　sovereigns。　　Manifestations　of　this　order　can　only　proceed　from　the　soul　of　crowds。　　The　most　absolute　power　of　the　most　despotic　monarch　can　scarcely　do　more　than　hasten　or　retard　the　moment　of　their　apparition。　　The　massacre　of　Saint　Bartholomew　or　the　religious　wars　were　no　more　the　work　of　kings　than　the　Reign　of　Terror　was　the　work　of　Robespierre；　Danton；　or　Saint　Just。　　At　the　bottom　of　such　events　is　always　to　be　found　the　working　of　the　soul　of　the　masses；　and　never　the　power　of　potentates。



BOOK　II

THE　OPINIONS　AND　BELIEFS　OF　CROWDS


CHAPTER　I

REMOTE　FACTORS　OF　THE　OPINIONS　AND　BELIEFS　OF　CROWDS

Preparatory　factors　of　the　beliefs　of　crowdsThe　origin　of　the　beliefs　of　crowds　is　the　consequence　of　a　preliminary　process　of　elaboration　Study　of　the　different　factors　of　these　beliefs。　1。　RACE。　The　predominating　influence　it　exercisesIt　represents　the　suggestions　of　ancestors。　　　2。　TRADITIONS。　They　are　the　synthesis　of　the　soul　of　the　raceSocial　importance　of　traditionsHow；　after　having　been　necessary　they　become　harmfulCrowds　are　the　most　obstinate　maintainers　of　traditional　ideas。　　　3。　TIME。　It　prepares　in　succession　the　establishment　of　beliefs　and　then　their　destruction。　　It　is　by　the　aid　of　this　factor　that　order　may　proceed　from　chaos。　　　4。　POLITICAL　AND　SOCIAL　INSTITUTIONS。　Erroneous　idea　of　their　partTheir　influence　extremely　weakThey　are　effects；　not　causesNations　are　incapable　of　choosing　what　appear　to　them　the　best　institutionsInstitutions　are　labels　which　shelter　the　most　dissimilar　things　under　the　same　title　How　institutions　may　come　to　be　createdCertain　institutions　theoretically　bad；　such　as　centralisation　obligatory　for　certain　nations。　　　5。　INSTITUTIONS　AND　EDUCATION。　Falsity　of　prevalent　ideas　as　to　the　influence　of　instruction　on　crowds　Statistical　indicationsDemoralising　effect　of　Latin　system　of　educationPart　instruction　might　playExamples　furnished　by　various　peoples。


Having　studied　the　mental　constitution　of　crowds　and　become　acquainted　with　their　modes　of　feeling；　thinking；　and　reasoning；　we　shall　now　proceed　to　examine　how　their　opinions　and　beliefs　arise　and　become　established。

The　factors　which　determine　these　opinions　and　beliefs　are　of　two　kinds：　remote　factors　and　immediate　factors。

The　remote　factors　are　those　which　render　crowds　capable　of　adopting　certain　convictions　and　absolutely　refractory　to　the　acceptance　of　others。　　These　factors　prepare　the　ground　in　which　are　suddenly　seen　to　germinate　certain　new　ideas　whose　force　and　consequences　are　a　cause　of　astonishment；　though　they　are　only　spontaneous　in　appearance。　　The　outburst　and　putting　in　practice　of　certain　ideas　among　crowds　present　at　times　a　startling　suddenness。　　This　is　only　a　superficial　effect；　behind　which　must　be　sought　a　preliminary　and　preparatory　action　of　long　duration。

The　immediate　factors　are　those　which；　coming　on　the　top　of　this　long；　preparatory　working；　in　whose　absence　they　would　remain　without　effect；　serve　as　the　source　of　active　persuasion　on　crowds；　that　is；　they　are　the　factors　which　cause　the　idea　to　take　shape　and　set　it　loose　with　all　its　consequences。　　The　resolutions　by　which　collectivities　are　suddenly　carried　away　arise　out　of　these　immediate　factors；　it　is　due　to　them　that　a　riot　breaks　out　or　a　strike　is　decided　upon；　and　to　them　that　enormous　majorities　invest　one　man　with　power　to　overthrow　a　government。

The　successive　action　of　these　two　kinds　of　factors　is　to　be　traced　in　all　great　historical　events。　　The　French　Revolutionto　cite　but　one　of　the　most　striking　of　such　eventshad　among　its　remote　factors　the　writings　of　the　philosophers；　the　exactions　of　the　nobility；　and　the　progress　of　scientific　thought。　　The　mind　of　the　masses；　thus　prepared；　was　then　easily　roused　by　such　immediate　factors　as　the　speeches　of　orators；　and　the　resistance　of　the　court　party　to　insignificant　reforms。

Among　the　remote　factors　there　are　some　of　a　general　nature；　which　are　found　to　underlie　all　the　beliefs　and　opinions　of　crowds。　　They　are　race；　traditions；　time；　institutions；　and　education。

We　now　proceed　to　study　the　influence　of　these　different　factors。

1。　RACE


This　factor；　race；　must　be　placed　in　the　first　rank；　for　in　itself　it　far　surpasses　in　importance　all　the　others。　　We　have　sufficiently　studied　it　in　another　work；　it　is　therefore　needless　to　deal　with　it　again。　　We　showed；　in　a　previous　volume；　what　an　historical　race　is；　and　how；　its　character　once　formed；　it　possesses；　as　the　result　of　the　laws　of　heredity　such　power　that　its　beliefs；　institutions；　and　artsin　a　word；　all　the　elements　of　its　civilisationare　merely　the　outward　expression　of　its　genius。　　We　showed　that　the　power　of　the　race　is　such　that　no　element　can　pass　from　one　people　to　another　without　undergoing　the　most　profound　transformations。＇7＇


＇7＇　The　novelty　of　this　proposition　being　still　considerable　and　history　being　quite　unintelligible　without　it；　I　devoted　four　chapters　to　its　demonstration　in　my　last　book　（〃The　Psychological　Laws　of　the　Evolution　of　Peoples〃）。　　From　it　the　reader　will　see　that；　in　spite　of　fallacious　appearances；　neither　language；　religion；　arts；　or；　in　a　word；　any　element　of　civilisation；　can　pass；　intact；　from　one　people　to　another。



Environment；　circumstances；　and　events　represent　the　social　suggestions　of　the　moment。　　They　may　have　a　considerable　influence；　but　this　influence　is　always　momentary　if　it　be　contrary　to　the　suggestions　of　the　race；　that　is；　to　those　which　are　inherited　by　a　nation　from　the　entire　series　of　its　ancestors。

We　shall　have　occasion　in　several　of　the　chapters　of　this　work　to　touch　again　upon　racial　influence；　and　to　show　that　this　influence　is　so　great　that　it　dominates　the　characteristics　peculiar　to　the　genius　of　crowds。　　It　follows　from　this　fact　that　the　crowds　of　different　countries　offer　very　considerable　differences　of　beliefs　and　conduct　and　are　not　to　be　influenced　in　the　same　manner。


2。　TRADITIONS


Traditions　represent　the　ideas；　the　needs；　and　the　sentiments　of　the　past。　　They　are　the　synthesis　of　the　race；　and　weigh　upon　us　with　immense　force。

The　biological　sciences　have　been　transformed　since　embryology　has　shown　the　immense　influence　of　the　past　on　the　evolution　of　living　beings；　and　the　historical　sciences　will　not　undergo　a　less　change　when　this　conception　has　become　more　widespread。　　As　yet　it　is　not　sufficiently　general；　and　many　statesmen　are　still　no　further　advanced　than　the　theorists　of　the　last　century；　who　believed　that　a　society　could　break　off　with　its　past　and　be　entirely　recast　on　lines　suggested　solely　by　the　light　of　reason。

A　people　is　an　organism　created　by　the　past；　and；　like　every　other　organism；　it　can　only　be　modified　by　slow　hereditary　accumulations。

It　is　tradition　that　guides　men；　and　more　especially　so　when　they　are　in　a　crowd。　　The　changes　they　can　effect　in　their　traditions　with　any　ease；　merely　bear；　as　I　have　often　repeated；　upon　names　and　outward　forms。

This　circumstance　is　not　to　be　regretted。　　Neither　a　national　genius　nor　civilisation　would　be　possible　without　traditions。　　In　consequence　man's　two　great　concerns　since　he　has　existed　have　been　to　create　a　network　of　traditions　which　he　afterwards　endeavours　to　destroy　when　their　beneficial　effects　have　worn　themselves　out。　　Civilisation　is　impossible　without　traditions；　and　progress　impossible　without　the　destruction　of　those　traditions。　　The　difficulty；　and　it　is　an　immense　difficulty；　is　to　find　a　proper　equilibrium　between　stability　and　variability。　Should　a　people　allow　its　customs　to　become　too　firmly　rooted；　it　can　no　longer　change；　and　becomes；　like　China；　incapable　of　improvement。　　Violent　revolutions　are　in　this　case　of　no　avail；　for　what　happens　is　that　either　the　broken　fragments　of　the　chain　are　pieced　together　again　and　the　past　resumes　its　empire　without　change；　or　the　fragments　remain　apart　and　decadence　soon　succeeds　anarchy。

The　ideal　for　a　people　is　in　consequence　to　preserve　the　institutions　of　the　past；　merely　changing　them　insensibly　and　little