the psychology of revolution-第14章

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This　people；　resigned　and　peaceable；　has　evidently　no　very　lofty

nor　complicated　political　conceptions。　　Its　governmental　ideal　is

always　very　simple；　is　something　very　like　dictatorship。　　This　is

why；　from　the　times　of　the　Greeks　to　our　own；　dictatorship　has

always　followed　anarchy。　　It　followed　it　after　the　first

Revolution；　when　Bonaparte　was　acclaimed；　and　again　when；　despite

opposition；　four　successive　plebiscites　raised　Louis　Napoleon　to

the　head　of　the　republic；　ratified　his　coup　d'etat；

re…established　the　Empire；　and　in　1870；　before　the　war；　approved

of　his　rule。



Doubtless　in　these　last　instances　the　people　was　deceived。　　But

without　the　revolutionary　conspiracies　which　led　to　disorder；　it

would　not　have　been　impelled　to　seek　the　means　of　escape

therefrom。



The　facts　recalled　in　this　chapter　must　not　be　forgotten　if　we

wish　fully　to　comprehend　the　various　roles　of　the　people

during　revolution。　　Its　action　is　considerable；　but　very　unlike

that　imagined　by　the　legends　whose　repetition　alone　constitutes

their　vitality。







BOOK　II



THE　FORMS　OF　MENTALITY　PREVALENT　DURING　REVOLUTION



CHAPTER　I



INDIVIDUAL　VARIATIONS　OF　CHARACTER　IN　TIME　OF　REVOLUTION



1。　　Transformations　of　Personality。



I　have　dwelt　at　length　elsewhere　upon　a　certain　theory　of

character；　without　which　it　is　absolutely　impossible　to

understand　divers　transformations　or　inconsistencies　of　conduct

which　occur　at　certain　moments；　notably　in　time　of　revolution。　

Here　are　the　principal　points　of　this　theory：



Every　individual　possesses；　besides　his　habitual　mentality；

which；　when　the　environment　does　not　alter；　is　almost　constant；

various　possibilities　of　character　which　may　be　evoked　by　passing

events。



The　people　who　surround　us　are　the　creatures　of　certain

circumstances；　but　not　of　all　circumstances。　　Our　ego　consists　of

the　association　of　innumerable　cellular　egos；　the　residues　of

ancestral　personalities。　　By　their　combination　they　form　an

equilibrium　which　is　fairly　permanent　when　the　social　environment

does　not　vary。　　As　soon　as　this　environment　is　considerably

modified；　as　in　time　of　insurrection；　this　equilibrium　is　broken；

and　the　dissociated　elements　constitute；　by　a　fresh　aggregation；

a　new　personality；　which　is　manifested　by　ideas；　feelings；　and

actions　very　different　from　those　formerly　observed　in　the　same

individual。　　Thus　it　is　that　during　the　Terror　we　see　honest

bourgeois　and　peaceful　magistrates　who　were　noted　for　their

kindness　turned　into　bloodthirsty　fanatics。



Under　the　influence　of　environment　the　old　personality　may

therefore　give　place　to　one　entirely　new。　　For　this　reason　the

actors　in　great　religious　and　political　crises　often　seem　of　a

different　essence　to　ourselves；　yet　they　do　not　differ　from　us；

the　repetition　of　the　same　events　would　bring　back　the　same　men。



Napoleon　perfectly　understood　these　possibilities　of　character

when　he　said；　in　Saint　Helena：



‘‘It　is　because　I　know　just　how　great　a　part　chance　plays　in　our

political　decisions；　that　I　have　always　been　without　prejudices；

and　very　indulgent　as　to　the　part　men　have　taken　during　our

disturbances。　。　。　。　　In　time　of　revolution　one　can　only　say　what

one　has　done；　it　would　not　be　wise　to　say　that　one　could　not　have

done　otherwise。　。　。　。　　Men　are　difficult　to　understand　if　we　want

to　be　just。　。　。　。　　Do　they　know　themselves？　　Do　they　account　for

themselves　very　clearly？　　There　are　virtues　and　vices　of

circumstance。''



When　the　normal　personality　has　been　disaggregated　under　the

influence　of　certain　events；　how　does　the　new　personality　form

itself？　　By　several　means；　the　most　active　of　which　is　the

acquisition　of　a　strong　belief。　　This　orientates　all　the　elements

of　the　understanding；　as　the　magnet　collects　into　regular

curves　the　filings　of　a　magnetic　metal。



Thus　were　formed　the　personalities　observed　in　times　of　great

crises：　the　Crusades；　the　Reformation；　the　Revolution　notably。



At　normal　times　the　environment　varies　little；　so　that　as　a　rule

we　see　only　a　single　personality　in　the　individuals　that　surround

us。　　Sometimes；　however；　it　happens　that　we　observe　several；

which　in　certain　circumstances　may　replace　one　another。



These　personalities　may　be　contradictory　and　even　inimical。　　This

phenomenon；　exceptional　under　normal　conditions；　is　considerably

accentuated　in　certain　pathological　conditions。　　Morbid

psychology　has　recorded　several　examples　of　multiple　personality

in　a　single　subject；　such　as　the　cases　cited　by　Morton　Prince　and

Pierre　Janet。



In　all　these　variations　of　personality　it　is　not　the　intelligence

which　is　modified；　but　the　feelings；　whose　association　forms　the

character。





2。　　Elements　of　Character　Predominant　in　Time　of　Revolution。





During　revolution　we　see　several　sentiments　developed　which　are

commonly　repressed；　but　to　which　the　destruction　of　social

constraints　gives　a　free　vent。



These　constraints；　consisting　of　the　law；　morality；　and

tradition；　are　not　always　completely　broken。　　Some　survive　the

upheaval　and　serve　to　some　extent　to　damp　the　explosion　of

dangerous　sentiments。



The　most　powerful　of　these　restraints　is　the　soul　of　the　race。　

This　determines　a　manner　of　seeing；　feeling；　and　willing

common　to　the　majority　of　the　individuals　of　the　same　people；　it

constitutes　a　hereditary　custom；　and　nothing　is　more　powerful

than　the　ties　of　custom。



This　racial　influence　limits　the　variations　of　a　people　and

determines　its　destiny　within　certain　limits　in　spite　of　all

superficial　changes。



For　example；　to　take　only　the　instances　of　history；　it　would　seem

that　the　mentality　of　France　must　have　varied　enormously　during　a

single　century。　　In　a　few　years　it　passed　from　the　Revolution　to

Caesarism；　returned　to　the　monarchy；　effected　another

Revolution；　and　then　summoned　a　new　Caesar。　　In　reality　only

the　outsides　of　things　had　changed。



We　cannot　insist　further　here　on　the　limits　of　national

variability；　but　must　now　consider　the　influence　of　certain

affective　elements；　whose　development　during　revolution

contributes　to　modify　individual　or　collective　personalities。　　In

particular　I　will　mention　hatred；　fear；　ambition；　jealousy　or

envy；　vanity；　and　enthusiasm。　　We　observe　their　influence　during

several　of　the　upheavals　of　history；　notably　during　the　course　of

the　French　Revolution；　which　will　furnish　us　with　most　of　our

examples。



Hatred。The　hatred　of　persons；　institutions；　and　things　which

animated　the　men　of　the　Revolution　is　one　of　these　affective

phenomena　which　are　the　more　striking　the　more　one　studies　their

psychology。　　They　detested；　not　only　their　enemies；　but　the

members　of　their　own　party。　　‘‘If　one　were　to　accept

unreservedly；''　said　a　recent　writer；　‘‘the　judgments　which　they

expressed　of　one　another；　we　should　have　to　conclude　that　they

were　all　traitors　and　boasters；　all　incapable　and　corrupt；

all　assassins　or　tyrants。''　　We　know　with　what　hatred；　scarcely

appeased　by　the　death　of　their　enemies；　men　persecuted　the

Girondists；　Dantonists；　Hebertists；　Robespierrists；　&c。



One　of　the　chief　causes　of　this　feeling　resided　in　the　fact　that

these　furious　sectaries；　being　apostles　in　possession　of　the

absolute　verity；　were　unable；　like　all　believers；　to　tolerate　the

sight　of　infidels。　　A　mystic　or　sentimental　certitude　is　always

accompanied　by　the　need　of　forcing　itself　on　others；　is　never

convinced；　and　does　not　shrink　from　wholesale　slaughter　when　it

has　the　power　to　commit　it。



If　the　hatreds　that　divided　the　men　of　the　Revolution　had　been　of

rational　origin　they　would　not　have　lasted　long；　but；　arising

from　affective　and　mystic　factors；　men　could　neither　forget　nor

forgive。　　Their　sources　being　identical　in　the　different　parties；

they　manifested　themselves　on　every　hand　with　identical　violence。



It　has　been　proved；　by　means　of　documents；　that　the　Gir