the psychology of revolution-第17章

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create　them　as　to　transform　them。



The　mystic　mentality　of　our　modern　political　apostles　is　strongly

marked　in　an　article　dealing　with　one　of　our　recent　ministers；

which　I　cite　from　a　leading　journal：



‘‘One　may　ask　into　what　category　does　M。　Afall？　　Could　we

say；　for　instance；　that　he　belongs　to　the　group　of　unbelievers？　

Far　from　it！　　Certainly　M。　A　has　not　adopted　any　positive

faith；　certainly　he　curses　Rome　and　Geneva；　rejecting　all　the

traditional　dogmas　and　all　the　known　Churches。　　But　if　he　makes　a

clean　sweep　it　is　in　order　to　found　his　own　Church　on　the　ground

so　cleared；　a　Church　more　dogmatic　than　all　the　rest；　and　his　own

inquisition；　whose　brutal　intolerance　would　have　no　reason　to

envy　the　most　notorious　of　Torquemadas。



‘‘　‘We　cannot；'　he　says；　‘allow　such　a　thing　as　scholastic

neutrality。　　We　demand　lay　instruction　in　all　its　plenitude；　and

are　consequently　the　enemies　of　educational　liberty。'　　If　he　does

not　suggest　erecting　the　stake　and　the　pyre；　it　is　only　on

account　of　the　evolution　of　manners；　which　he　is　forced　to　take

into　account　to　a　certain　extent；　whether　he　will　or　no。　　But；

not　being　able　to　commit　men　to　the　torture；　he　invokes　the

secular　arm　to　condemn　their　doctrines　to　death。　　This　is　exactly

the　point　of　view　of　the　great　inquisitors。　　It　is　the　same

attack　upon　thought。　　This　freethinker　has　so　free　a　spirit　that

every　philosophy　he　does　not　accept　appears　to　him；　not　only

ridiculous　and　grotesque；　but　criminal。　　He　flatters　himself　that

he　alone　is　in　possession　of　the　absolute　truth。　　Of　this　he　is

so　entirely　sure　that　everyone　who　contradicts　him　seems　to　him

an　execrable　monster　and　a　public　enemy。　　He　does　not　suspect　for

a　moment　that　after　all　his　personal　views　are　only　hypotheses；

and　that　he　is　all　the　more　laughable　for　claiming　a　Divine　right

for　them　precisely　because　they　deny　divinity。　　Or；　at　least；

they　profess　to　do　so；　but　they　re…establish　it　in　another　shape；

which　immediately　makes　one　regret　the　old。　　M。　A　is　a

sectary　of　the　goddess　Reason；　of　whom　he　has　made　a　Moloch；　an

oppressive　deity　hungry　for　sacrifice。　　No　more　liberty　of

thought　for　any　one　except　for　himself　and　his　friends；　such　is

the　free　thought　of　M。　A。　　The　outlook　is　truly　attractive。　

But　perhaps　too　many　idols　have　been　cast　down　during　the　last

few　centuries　for　men　to　bow　before　this　one。''



We　must　hope　for　the　sake　of　liberty　that　these　gloomy　fanatics

will　never　finally　become　our　masters。



Given　the　silent　power　of　reason　over　mystic　beliefs；　it　is　quite

useless　to　seek　to　discuss；　as　is　so　often　done；　the　rational

value　of　revolutionary　or　political　ideas。　　Only　their　influence

can　interest　us。　　It　matters　little　that　the　theories　of　the

supposed　equality　of　men；　the　original　goodness　of　mankind；　the

possibility　of　re…making　society　by　means　of　laws；　have

been　given　the　lie　by　observation　and　experience。　　These　empty

illusions　must　be　counted　among　the　most　potent　motives　of　action

that　humanity　has　known。





3。　　The　Jacobin　Mentality。





Although　the　term　‘‘Jacobin　mentality''　does　not　really　belong　to

any　true　classification；　I　employ　it　here　because　it　sums　up　a

clearly　defined　combination　which　constitutes　a　veritable

psychological　species。



This　mentality　dominates　the　men　of　the　French　Revolution；　but　is

not　peculiar　to　them；　as　it　still　represents　one　of　the　most

active　elements　in　our　politics。



The　mystic　mentality　which　we　have　already　considered　is　an

essential　factor　of　the　Jacobin　mind；　but　it　is　not　in　itself

enough　to　constitute　that　mind。　　Other　elements；　which　we　shall

now　examine；　must　be　added。



The　Jacobins　do　not　in　the　least　suspect　their　mysticism。　　On　the

contrary；　they　profess　to　be　guided　solely　by　pure　reason。　

During　the　Revolution　they　invoked　reason　incessantly；　and

considered　it　as　their　only　guide　to　conduct。



The　majority　of　historians　have　adopted　this　rationalist

conception　of　the　Jacobin　mind；　and　Taine　fell　into　the　same

error。　　It　is　in　the　abuse　of　rationalism　that　he　seeks　the

origin　of　a　great　proportion　of　the　acts　of　the　Jacobins。　　The

pages　in　which　he　has　dealt　with　the　subject　contain　many　truths；

however；　and　as　they　are　in　other　ways　very　remarkable；　I

reproduce　the　most　important　passages　here：



‘‘Neither　exaggerated　self…love　nor　dogmatic　reasoning　is

rare　in　the　human　species。　　In　all　countries　these　two　roots　of

the　Jacobin　spirit　subsist；　secret　and　indestructible。　。　。　。　　At

twenty　years　of　age；　when　a　young　man　is　entering　into　the　world；

his　reason　is　stimulated　simultaneously　with　his　pride。　In　the

first　place；　whatever　society　he　may　move　in；　it　is　contemptible

to　pure　reason；　for　it　has　not　been　constructed　by　a　philosophic

legislator　according　to　a　principle；　but　successive　generations

have　arranged　it　according　to　their　multiple　and　ever…changing

needs。　　It　is　not　the　work　of　logic；　but　of　history；　and　the

young　reasoner　shrugs　his　shoulders　at　the　sight　of　this　old

building；　whose　site　is　arbitrary；　whose　architecture　is

incoherent；　and　whose　inconveniences　are　obvious。　。　。　。　　The

majority　of　young　people；　above　all　those　who　have　their　way　to

make；　are　more　or　less　Jacobin　on　leaving　college。　。　。　。　

Jacobinism　is　born　of　social　decomposition　just　as　mushrooms　are

born　of　a　fermenting　soil。　　Consider　the　authentic　monuments　of

its　thoughtthe　speeches　of　Robespierre　and　Saint…Just；　the

debates　of　the　Legislative　Assembly　and　the　Convention；　the

harangues；　addresses；　and　reports　of　Girondists　and　Montagnards。　

Never　did　men　speak　so　much　to　say　so　little；　the　empty　verbiage

and　swollen　emphasis　swamp　any　truth　there　may　be　beneath　their

monotony　and　their　turgidity。　　The　Jacobin　is　full　of　respect　for

the　phantoms　of　his　reasoning　brain；　in　his　eyes　they　are　more

real　than　living　men；　and　their　suffrage　is　the　only　suffrage　he

recogniseshe　will　march　onward　in　all　sincerity　at　the　head　of

a　procession　of　imaginary　followers。　　The　millions　of

metaphysical　wills　which　he　has　created　in　the　image　of　his　own

will　sustain　him　by　their　unanimous　assent；　and　he　will

project　outwards；　like　a　chorus　of　triumph　and　acclamation；　the

inward　echo　of　his　own　voice。''



While　admiring　Taine's　description；　I　think　he　has　not　exactly

grasped　the　psychology　of　the　Jacobin。



The　mind　of　the　true　Jacobin；　at　the　time　of　the　Revolution　as

now；　was　composed　of　elements　which　we　must　analyse　if　we　are　to

understand　its　function。



This　analysis　will　show　in　the　first　place　that　the　Jacobin　is

not　a　rationalist；　but　a　believer。　　Far　from　building　his　belief

on　reason；　he　moulds　reason　to　his　belief；　and　although　his

speeches　are　steeped　in　rationalism　he　employs　it　very　little　in

his　thoughts　and　his　conduct。



A　Jacobin　who　reasoned　as　much　as　he　is　accused　of　reasoning

would　be　sometimes　accessible　to　the　voice　of　reason。　　Now；

observation　proves；　from　the　time　of　the　Revolution　to　our　own

days；　that　the　Jacobin　is　never　influenced　by　reasoning；　however

just；　and　it　is　precisely　here　that　his　strength　resides。



And　why　is　he　not　accessible　to　reason？　　Simply　because　his

vision　of　things；　always　extremely　limited；　does　not　permit　of

his　resisting　the　powerful　and　passionate　impulses　which　guide

him。



These　two　elements；　feeble　reason　and　strong　passions；　would　not

of　themselves　constitute　the　Jacobin　mind。　　There　is　another。



Passion　supports　convictions；　but　hardly　ever　creates　them。　　Now；

the　true　Jacobin　has　forcible　convictions。　　What　is　to　sustain

them？　　Here　the　mystic　elements　whose　action　we　have　already

studied　come　into　play。　　The　Jacobin　is　a　mystic　who　has

replaced　the　old　divinities　by　new　gods。　　Imbued　with　the　power

of　words　and　formulae；　he　attributes　to　these　a　mysterious

power。　　To　serve　these　exigent　divinities　he　does　not　shrink　from

the　most　violent　measures。　　The　laws　voted　by　our　modern　Jacob