the crowd-第2章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



It　is　not　easy　to　say　as　yet　what　will　one　day　be　evolved　from　this　necessarily　somewhat　chaotic　period。　　What　will　be　the　fundamental　ideas　on　which　the　societies　that　are　to　succeed　our　own　will　be　built　up？　　We　do　not　at　present　know。　　Still　it　is　already　clear　that　on　whatever　lines　the　societies　of　the　future　are　organised；　they　will　have　to　count　with　a　new　power；　with　the　last　surviving　sovereign　force　of　modern　times；　the　power　of　crowds。　　On　the　ruins　of　so　many　ideas　formerly　considered　beyond　discussion；　and　to…day　decayed　or　decaying；　of　so　many　sources　of　authority　that　successive　revolutions　have　destroyed；　this　power；　which　alone　has　arisen　in　their　stead；　seems　soon　destined　to　absorb　the　others。　　While　all　our　ancient　beliefs　are　tottering　and　disappearing；　while　the　old　pillars　of　society　are　giving　way　one　by　one；　the　power　of　the　crowd　is　the　only　force　that　nothing　menaces；　and　of　which　the　prestige　is　continually　on　the　increase。　　The　age　we　are　about　to　enter　will　in　truth　be　the　ERA　OF　CROWDS。

Scarcely　a　century　ago　the　traditional　policy　of　European　states　and　the　rivalries　of　sovereigns　were　the　principal　factors　that　shaped　events。　　The　opinion　of　the　masses　scarcely　counted；　and　most　frequently　indeed　did　not　count　at　all。　　To…day　it　is　the　traditions　which　used　to　obtain　in　politics；　and　the　individual　tendencies　and　rivalries　of　rulers　which　do　not　count；　while；　on　the　contrary；　the　voice　of　the　masses　has　become　preponderant。　It　is　this　voice　that　dictates　their　conduct　to　kings；　whose　endeavour　is　to　take　note　of　its　utterances。　　The　destinies　of　nations　are　elaborated　at　present　in　the　heart　of　the　masses；　and　no　longer　in　the　councils　of　princes。

The　entry　of　the　popular　classes　into　political　lifethat　is　to　say；　in　reality；　their　progressive　transformation　into　governing　classesis　one　of　the　most　striking　characteristics　of　our　epoch　of　transition。　　The　introduction　of　universal　suffrage；　which　exercised　for　a　long　time　but　little　influence；　is　not；　as　might　be　thought；　the　distinguishing　feature　of　this　transference　of　political　power。　　The　progressive　growth　of　the　power　of　the　masses　took　place　at　first　by　the　propagation　of　certain　ideas；　which　have　slowly　implanted　themselves　in　men's　minds；　and　afterwards　by　the　gradual　association　of　individuals　bent　on　bringing　about　the　realisation　of　theoretical　conceptions。　　It　is　by　association　that　crowds　have　come　to　procure　ideas　with　respect　to　their　interests　which　are　very　clearly　defined　if　not　particularly　just；　and　have　arrived　at　a　consciousness　of　their　strength。　　The　masses　are　founding　syndicates　before　which　the　authorities　capitulate　one　after　the　other；　they　are　also　founding　labour　unions；　which　in　spite　of　all　economic　laws　tend　to　regulate　the　conditions　of　labour　and　wages。　　They　return　to　assemblies　in　which　the　Government　is　vested；　representatives　utterly　lacking　initiative　and　independence；　and　reduced　most　often　to　nothing　else　than　the　spokesmen　of　the　committees　that　have　chosen　them。

To…day　the　claims　of　the　masses　are　becoming　more　and　more　sharply　defined；　and　amount　to　nothing　less　than　a　determination　to　utterly　destroy　society　as　it　now　exists；　with　a　view　to　making　it　hark　back　to　that　primitive　communism　which　was　the　normal　condition　of　all　human　groups　before　the　dawn　of　civilisation。　　Limitations　of　the　hours　of　labour；　the　nationalisation　of　mines；　railways；　factories；　and　the　soil；　the　equal　distribution　of　all　products；　the　elimination　of　all　the　upper　classes　for　the　benefit　of　the　popular　classes；　&c。；　such　are　these　claims。

Little　adapted　to　reasoning；　crowds；　on　the　contrary；　are　quick　to　act。　　As　the　result　of　their　present　organisation　their　strength　has　become　immense。　　The　dogmas　whose　birth　we　are　witnessing　will　soon　have　the　force　of　the　old　dogmas；　that　is　to　say；　the　tyrannical　and　sovereign　force　of　being　above　discussion。　　The　divine　right　of　the　masses　is　about　to　replace　the　divine　right　of　kings。

The　writers　who　enjoy　the　favour　of　our　middle　classes；　those　who　best　represent　their　rather　narrow　ideas；　their　somewhat　prescribed　views；　their　rather　superficial　scepticism；　and　their　at　times　somewhat　excessive　egoism；　display　profound　alarm　at　this　new　power　which　they　see　growing；　and　to　combat　the　disorder　in　men's　minds　they　are　addressing　despairing　appeals　to　those　moral　forces　of　the　Church　for　which　they　formerly　professed　so　much　disdain。　　They　talk　to　us　of　the　bankruptcy　of　science；　go　back　in　penitence　to　Rome；　and　remind　us　of　the　teachings　of　revealed　truth。　　These　new　converts　forget　that　it　is　too　late。　Had　they　been　really　touched　by　grace；　a　like　operation　could　not　have　the　same　influence　on　minds　less　concerned　with　the　preoccupations　which　beset　these　recent　adherents　to　religion。　The　masses　repudiate　to…day　the　gods　which　their　admonishers　repudiated　yesterday　and　helped　to　destroy。　　There　is　no　power；　Divine　or　human；　that　can　oblige　a　stream　to　flow　back　to　its　source。

There　has　been　no　bankruptcy　of　science；　and　science　has　had　no　share　in　the　present　intellectual　anarchy；　nor　in　the　making　of　the　new　power　which　is　springing　up　in　the　midst　of　this　anarchy。　Science　promised　us　truth；　or　at　least　a　knowledge　of　such　relations　as　our　intelligence　can　seize：　it　never　promised　us　peace　or　happiness。　　Sovereignly　indifferent　to　our　feelings；　it　is　deaf　to　our　lamentations。　　It　is　for　us　to　endeavour　to　live　with　science；　since　nothing　can　bring　back　the　illusions　it　has　destroyed。

Universal　symptoms；　visible　in　all　nations；　show　us　the　rapid　growth　of　the　power　of　crowds；　and　do　not　admit　of　our　supposing　that　it　is　destined　to　cease　growing　at　an　early　date。　　Whatever　fate　it　may　reserve　for　us；　we　shall　have　to　submit　to　it。　　All　reasoning　against　it　is　a　mere　vain　war　of　words。　　Certainly　it　is　possible　that　the　advent　to　power　of　the　masses　marks　one　of　the　last　stages　of　Western　civilisation；　a　complete　return　to　those　periods　of　confused　anarchy　which　seem　always　destined　to　precede　the　birth　of　every　new　society。　　But　may　this　result　be　prevented？

Up　to　now　these　thoroughgoing　destructions　of　a　worn…out　civilisation　have　constituted　the　most　obvious　task　of　the　masses。　　It　is　not　indeed　to…day　merely　that　this　can　be　traced。　History　tells　us；　that　from　the　moment　when　the　moral　forces　on　which　a　civilisation　rested　have　lost　their　strength；　its　final　dissolution　is　brought　about　by　those　unconscious　and　brutal　crowds　known；　justifiably　enough；　as　barbarians。　　Civilisations　as　yet　have　only　been　created　and　directed　by　a　small　intellectual　aristocracy；　never　by　crowds。　　Crowds　are　only　powerful　for　destruction。　　Their　rule　is　always　tantamount　to　a　barbarian　phase。　　A　civilisation　involves　fixed　rules；　discipline；　a　passing　from　the　instinctive　to　the　rational　state；　forethought　for　the　future；　an　elevated　degree　of　cultureall　of　them　conditions　that　crowds；　left　to　themselves；　have　invariably　shown　themselves　incapable　of　realising。　　In　consequence　of　the　purely　destructive　nature　of　their　power　crowds　act　like　those　microbes　which　hasten　the　dissolution　of　enfeebled　or　dead　bodies。　　When　the　structure　of　a　civilisation　is　rotten；　it　is　always　the　masses　that　bring　about　its　downfall。　　It　is　at　such　a　juncture　that　their　chief　mission　is　plainly　visible；　and　that　for　a　while　the　philosophy　of　number　seems　the　only　philosophy　of　history。

Is　the　same　fate　in　store　for　our　civilisation？　　There　is　ground　to　fear　that　this　is　the　case；　but　we　are　not　as　yet　in　a　position　to　be　certain　of　it。

However　this　may　be；　we　are　bound　to　resign　ourselves　to　the　reign　of　the　masses；　since　want　of　foresight　has　in　succession　overthrown　all　the　barriers　that　might　have　kept　the　crowd　in　check。

We　have　a　very　slight　knowledge　of　these　crowds　which　are　beginning　to　be　the　object　of　so　much　discussion。　　Professional　students　of　psychology；　having　lived　far　from　them；　have　always　ignored　them；　and　when；　as　of　late；　they　have　turned　their　attention　in　this　direction　it　has　only　been　to　consider　the　crimes　crowds　are　capable　of　committing。　　Without　a　doubt　criminal　crowds　exist；　but　virtuous　and　heroic　crowds；　and　crowds　of　many　other　kinds；　are　also　to　be　met　with。　　The　crimes　of　crowds　only　constitute　a　particular　phase　of　their　psychology。　The　mental　constitution　of　crowds　is　not　to　be　learnt　merely　by　a　study　of　their　crimes；　any　more　than　that　of　an　individual　by　a　mere　description　of　his　vices。

However；　in　point　of　fact；　all　the　world's　masters；　all　the　founders　of　religions　or　empires；　the　apostles　of　all　beliefs；　eminent　statesmen；　and；　in　a　more　modest　sphere；　the　mere　chiefs　of　small　groups　of　men　have　always　been　unconscious　psychologists；　possessed　of　an　instinctive　and　often　very　sure　knowledge　of　the　character　of　crowds；　and　it　is　their　accurate　knowledge　of　this　character　that　has　enabled　them　to　so　easily　establish　their　mastery。　　Napoleon　had　a　marvellous　insight　into　the　psychology　of　the　masses　of　the　country　over　which　he　reigned；　but　he；　at　times；　completely　misunderstood　the　psychology　of　crowds　belonging　to　other　races；＇1＇　and　it　is　because　he　thus　misunderstood　it　that　he　engaged　in　Spain；　and　notably　in　Russia；　in　conflicts　in　which　his　power　received　blows　which　were　destined　within　a　brief　space　of　time　to　ruin　it。　　A　knowledge　of　the　psychology　of　crowds　is　to…day　the　last　resource　of　the　statesman　who　wishes　not　to　govern　themthat　is　becoming　a　very　difficult　matterbut　at　any　rate　not　to　be　too　much　governed　by　them。


＇1＇　His　most　subtle　advisers；　moreover；　did　not　understand　this　psychology　any　better。　　Talleyrand　wrote　him　that　〃Spain　would　receive　his　soldiers　as　liberators。〃　　It　received　them　as　beasts　of　prey。　　A　psychologist　acquainted　with　the　hereditary　instincts　of　the　Spanish　race　would　have　easily　foreseen　this　reception。



It　is　only　by　obtaining　some　sort　of　insight　into　the　psychology　of　crowds　that　it　can　be　understood　how　slight　is　the　action　upon　them　of　laws　and　institutions；　how　powerless　they　are　to　hold　any　opinions　other　than　those　which　are　imposed　upon　them；　and　that　it　is　not　with　rules　based　on　theories　of　pure　equity　that　they　are　to　be　led；　but　by　seeking　what　produces　an　impression　on　them　and　what　seduces　them。　　For　instance；　should　a　legislator；　wishing　to　impose　a　new　tax；　choose　that　which　would　be　theoretically　the　most　just？　　By　no　means。　　In　practice　the　most　unjust　may　be　the　best　for　the　masses。　　Should　it　at　the　same　time　be　the　least　obvious；　and　apparently　the　least　burdensome；　it　will　be　the　most　easily　tolerated。　　It　is　for　this　reason　that　an　indirect　tax；　however　exorbitant　it　be；　will　always　be　accepted　by　the　crowd；　because；　being　paid　daily　in　fractions　of　a　farthing　on　objects　of　consumption；　it　will　not　interfere　with　the　habits　of　the　crowd；　and　will　pass　unperceived。　　Replace　it　by　a　proportional　tax　on　wages　or　income　of　any　other　kind；　to　be　paid　in　a　lump　sum；　and　were　this　new　imposition　theoretically　ten　times　less　burdensome　than　the　other；　it　would　give　rise　to　unanimous　protest。　　This　arises　from　the　fact　that　a　sum　relatively　high；　which　will　appear　immense；　and　will　in　consequence　strike　the　imagination；　has　been　substituted　for　the　unperceived　fractions　of　a　farthing。　　Th