the crowd-第23章

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e　following　divisions：

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　1。　Anonymous　crowds　（street　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　crowds；　for　example）。　A。　Heterogeneous　　　　　　　　　2。　Crowds　not　anonymous　　　　　crowds。　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　（juries；　parliamentary　assemblies；　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　&c。）。　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　1。　Sects　（political　sects；　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　religious　sects；　&c。）。　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　2。　Castes　（the　military　caste；　B。　Homogeneous　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　the　priestly　caste；　the　　　　　crowds。　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　working　caste；　&c。）。　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　3。　Classes　（the　middle　classes；　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　the　peasant　classes；　&c。）。


We　will　point　out　briefly　the　distinguishing　characteristics　of　these　different　categories　of　crowds。


1。　HETEROGENEOUS　CROWDS


It　is　these　collectivities　whose　characteristics　have　been　studied　in　this　volume。　　They　are　composed　of　individuals　of　any　description；　of　any　profession；　and　any　degree　of　intelligence。

We　are　now　aware　that　by　the　mere　fact　that　men　form　part　of　a　crowd　engaged　in　action；　their　collective　psychology　differs　essentially　from　their　individual　psychology；　and　their　intelligence　is　affected　by　this　differentiation。　　We　have　seen　that　intelligence　is　without　influence　in　collectivities；　they　being　solely　under　the　sway　of　unconscious　sentiments。

A　fundamental　factor；　that　of　race；　allows　of　a　tolerably　thorough　differentiation　of　the　various　heterogeneous　crowds。

We　have　often　referred　already　to　the　part　played　by　race；　and　have　shown　it　to　be　the　most　powerful　of　the　factors　capable　of　determining　men's　actions。　　Its　action　is　also　to　be　traced　in　the　character　of　crowds。　　A　crowd　composed　of　individuals　assembled　at　haphazard；　but　all　of　them　Englishmen　or　Chinamen；　will　differ　widely　from　another　crowd　also　composed　of　individuals　of　any　and　every　description；　but　of　other　racesRussians；　Frenchmen；　or　Spaniards；　for　example。

The　wide　divergencies　which　their　inherited　mental　constitution　creates　in　men's　modes　of　feeling　and　thinking　at　once　come　into　prominence　when；　which　rarely　happens；　circumstances　gather　together　in　the　same　crowd　and　in　fairly　equal　proportions　individuals　of　different　nationality；　and　this　occurs；　however　identical　in　appearance　be　the　interests　which　provoked　the　gathering。　　The　efforts　made　by　the　socialists　to　assemble　in　great　congresses　the　representatives　of　the　working…class　populations　of　different　countries；　have　always　ended　in　the　most　pronounced　discord。　　A　Latin　crowd；　however　revolutionary　or　however　conservative　it　be　supposed；　will　invariably　appeal　to　the　intervention　of　the　State　to　realise　its　demands。　　It　is　always　distinguished　by　a　marked　tendency　towards　centralisation　and　by　a　leaning；　more　or　less　pronounced；　in　favour　of　a　dictatorship。　　An　English　or　an　American　crowd；　on　the　contrary；　sets　no　store　on　the　State；　and　only　appeals　to　private　initiative。　　A　French　crowd　lays　particular　weight　on　equality　and　an　English　crowd　on　liberty。　　These　differences　of　race　explain　how　it　is　that　there　are　almost　as　many　different　forms　of　socialism　and　democracy　as　there　are　nations。

The　genius　of　the　race；　then；　exerts　a　paramount　influence　upon　the　dispositions　of　a　crowd。　　It　is　the　powerful　underlying　force　that　limits　its　changes　of　humour。　　It　should　be　considered　as　an　essential　law　that　THE　INFERIOR　CHARACTERISTICS　OF　CROWDS　ARE　THE　LESS　ACCENTUATED　IN　PROPORTION　AS　THE　SPIRIT　OF　THE　RACE　IS　STRONG。　　The　crowd　state　and　the　domination　of　crowds　is　equivalent　to　the　barbarian　state；　or　to　a　return　to　it。　　It　is　by　the　acquisition　of　a　solidly　constituted　collective　spirit　that　the　race　frees　itself　to　a　greater　and　greater　extent　from　the　unreflecting　power　of　crowds；　and　emerges　from　the　barbarian　state。　　The　only　important　classification　to　be　made　of　heterogeneous　crowds；　apart　from　that　based　on　racial　considerations；　is　to　separate　them　into　anonymous　crowds；　such　as　street　crowds；　and　crowds　not　anonymousdeliberative　assemblies　and　juries；　for　example。　　The　sentiment　of　responsibility　absent　from　crowds　of　the　first　description　and　developed　in　those　of　the　second　often　gives　a　very　different　tendency　to　their　respective　acts。


2。　HOMOGENEOUS　CROWDS


Homogeneous　crowds　include：　1。　Sects；　2。　Castes；　3。　Classes。


The　SECT　represents　the　first　step　in　the　process　of　organisation　of　homogeneous　crowds。　　A　sect　includes　individuals　differing　greatly　as　to　their　education；　their　professions；　and　the　class　of　society　to　which　they　belong；　and　with　their　common　beliefs　as　the　connecting　link。　　Examples　in　point　are　religious　and　political　sects。

The　CASTE　represents　the　highest　degree　of　organisation　of　which　the　crowd　is　susceptible。　　While　the　sect　includes　individuals　of　very　different　professions；　degrees　of　education　and　social　surrounding；　who　are　only　linked　together　by　the　beliefs　they　hold　in　common；　the　caste　is　composed　of　individuals　of　the　same　profession；　and　in　consequence　similarly　educated　and　of　much　the　same　social　status。　　Examples　in　point　are　the　military　and　priestly　castes。

The　CLASS　is　formed　of　individuals　of　diverse　origin；　linked　together　not　by　a　community　of　beliefs；　as　are　the　members　of　a　sect；　or　by　common　professional　occupations；　as　are　the　members　of　a　caste；　but　by　certain　interests　and　certain　habits　of　life　and　education　almost　identical。　　The　middle　class　and　the　agricultural　class　are　examples。

Being　only　concerned　in　this　work　with　heterogeneous　crowds；　and　reserving　the　study　of　homogeneous　crowds　（sects；　castes；　and　classes）　for　another　volume；　I　shall　not　insist　here　on　the　characteristics　of　crowds　of　this　latter　kind。　　I　shall　conclude　this　study　of　heterogeneous　crowds　by　the　examination　of　a　few　typical　and　distinct　categories　of　crowds。



CHAPTER　II

CROWDS　TERMED　CRIMINAL　CROWDS

Crowds　termed　criminal　crowdsA　crowd　may　be　legally　yet　not　psychologically　criminalThe　absolute　unconsciousness　of　the　acts　of　crowdsVarious　examplesPsychology　of　the　authors　of　the　September　massacresTheir　reasoning；　their　sensibility；　their　ferocity；　and　their　morality。


Owing　to　the　fact　that　crowds；　after　a　period　of　excitement；　enter　upon　a　purely　automatic　and　unconscious　state；　in　which　they　are　guided　by　suggestion；　it　seems　difficult　to　qualify　them　in　any　case　as　criminal。　　I　only　retain　this　erroneous　qualification　because　it　has　been　definitely　brought　into　vogue　by　recent　psychological　investigations。　　Certain　acts　of　crowds　are　assuredly　criminal；　if　considered　merely　in　themselves；　but　criminal　in　that　case　in　the　same　way　as　the　act　of　a　tiger　devouring　a　Hindoo；　after　allowing　its　young　to　maul　him　for　their　amusement。

The　usual　motive　of　the　crimes　of　crowds　is　a　powerful　suggestion；　and　the　individuals　who　take　part　in　such　crimes　are　afterwards　convinced　that　they　have　acted　in　obedience　to　duty；　which　is　far　from　being　the　case　with　the　ordinary　criminal。

The　history　of　the　crimes　committed　by　crowds　illustrates　what　precedes。

The　murder　of　M。　de　Launay；　the　governor　of　the　Bastille；　may　be　cited　as　a　typical　example。　　After　the　taking　of　the　fortress　the　governor；　surrounded　by　a　very　excited　crowd；　was　dealt　blows　from　every　direction。　　It　was　proposed　to　hang　him；　to　cut　off　his　head；　to　tie　him　to　a　horse's　tail。　　While　struggling；　he　accidently　kicked　one　of　those　present。　　Some　one　proposed；　and　his　suggestion　was　at　once　received　with　acclamation　by　the　crowd；　that　the　individual　who　had　been　kicked　should　cut　the　governor's　throat。

〃The　individual　in　question；　a　cook　out　of　work；　whose　chief　reason　for　being　at　the　Bastille　was　idle　curiosity　as　to　what　was　going　on；　esteems；　that　since　such　is　the　general　opinion；　the　action　is　patriotic　and　even　believes　he　deserves　a　medal　for　having　destroyed　a　monster。　　With　a　sword　that　is　lent　him　he　strikes　the　bared　neck；　but　the　weapon　being　somewhat　blunt　and　not　cutting；　he　takes　from　his　pocket　a　small　black…handled　knife　and　（in　his　capacity　of　cook　he　would　be　experienced　in　cutting　up　meat）　successfully　effects　the　operation。〃

The　working　of　the　process　indicated　above　is　clearly　seen　in　this　example。　　We　have　obedience　to　a　suggestion；　which　is　all　the　stronger　because　of　its　collective　origin；　and　the　murderer's　conviction　that　he　has　committed　a　very　meritorious　act；　a　conviction　the　more　natural　seeing　that　he　enjoys　the　unanimous　approval　of　his　fellow…citizens。　　An　act　of　this　kind　may　be　considered　crime　legally　but　not　psychologically。

The　general　characteristics　of　criminal　crowds　are　precisely　the　same　as　those　we　have　met　with　in　all　crowds：　openness　to　suggestion；　credulity；　mobility；　the　exaggeration　of　the　sentiments　good　or　bad；　the　manifestation　of　certain　forms　of　morality；　&c。

We　shall　find　all　these　characteristics　present　in　a　crowd　which　has　left　behind　it　in　French　history　the　most　sinister　memoriesthe　crowd　which　perpetrated　the　September　massacres。　In　point　of　fact　it　offers　much　similarity　with　the　crowd　that　committed　the　Saint　Bartholomew　massacres。　　I　borrow　the　details　from　the　narration　of　M。　Taine；　who　took　them　from　contemporary　sources。

It　is　not　known　exactly　who　gave　the　order　or　made　the　suggestion　to　empty　the　prisons　by　massacring　the　prisoners。　　Whether　it　was　Danton；　as　is　probable；　or　another　does　not　matter；　the　one　interesting　fact　for　us　is　the　powerful　suggestion　received　by　the　crowd　charged　with　the　massacre。

The　crowd　of　murderers　numbered　some　three　hundred　persons；　and　was　a　perfectly　typical　heterogeneous　crowd。　　With　the　exception　of　a　very　small　number　of　professional　scoundrels；　it　was　composed　in　the　main　of　shopkeepers　and　artisans　of　every　trade：　bootmakers；　locksmiths；　hairdressers；　masons；　clerks；　messengers；　&c。　　Under　the　influence　of　the　suggestion　received　they　are　perfectly　convinced；　as　was　the　cook　referred　to　above；　that　they　are　accomplishing　a　patriotic　duty。　　They　fill　a　double　office；　being　at　once　judge　and　executioner；　but　they　do　not　for　a　moment　regard　themselves　as　criminals。

Deeply　conscious　of　the　importance　of　their　duty；　they　begin　by　forming　a　sort　of　tribunal；　and　in　connection　with　this　act　the　ingenuousness　of　crowds　and　their　rudimentary　conception　of　justice　are　seen　immediately。　　In　consideration　of　the　large　number　of　the　accused；　it　is　decided　that；　to　begin　with；　the　nobles；　priests；　officers；　and　members　of　the　king's　householdin　a　word；　all　the　individuals　whose　mere　profession　is　proof　of　their　guilt　in　the　eyes　of　a　good　patriotshall　be　slaughtered　in　a　body；　there　being　no　need　for　a　special　decision　in　their　case。　　The　remainder　shall　be　judged　on　their　personal　appearance　and　their　reputation。　　In　this　way　the　rudimentary　conscience　of　the　crowd　is　satisfied。　　It　will　now　be　able　to　proceed　legally　with　the　massacre；　and　to　give　free　scope　to　those　instincts　of　ferocity　whose　genesis　I　have　set　forth　elsewhere；　they　being　instincts　which　collectivities　always　have　it　in　them　to　develop　to　a　high　degree。　　These　instincts；　howeveras　is　regularly　the　case　in　crowdswill　not　prevent　the　manifestation　of　other　and　contrary　sentiments；　such　as　a　tenderheartedness　often　as　extreme　as　the　ferocity。

〃They　have　the　expansive　sympathy　and　prompt　sensibi