the psychology of revolution-第20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！



headings　already　given：　affirmation；　repetition；　prestige；　and

contagion。



Mental　contagion　may　affect　a　whole　people　instantaneously；　but

more　often　it　operates　slowly；　creeping　from　group　to　group。　

Thus　was　the　Reformation　propagated　in　France。



A　people　is　far　less　excitable　than　a　crowd；　but　certain　events

national　insults；　threats　of　invasion；　&c。may　arouse　it

instantly。　　Such　a　phenomenon　was　observed　on　several　occasions

during　the　Revolution；　notably　at　the　time　of　the　insolent

manifesto　issued　by　the　Duke　of　Brunswick。　　The　Duke　knew　little

indeed　of　the　psychology　of　the　French　race　when　he

proffered　his　threats。　　Not　only　did　he　considerably　prejudice

the　cause　of　Louis　XVI。；　but　he　also　damaged　his　own；　since　his

intervention　raised　from　the　soil　an　army　eager　to　fight　him。



This　sudden　explosion　of　feeling　throughout　a　whole　race　has　been

observed　in　all　nations。　　Napoleon　did　not　understand　the　power

of　such　explosions　when　he　invaded　Spain　and　Russia。　　One　may

easily　disaggregate　the　facile　mind　of　a　crowd；　but　one　can　do

nothing　before　the　permanent　soul　of　a　race。　　Certainly　the

Russian　peasant　is　a　very　indifferent　being；　gross　and　narrow　by

nature；　yet　at　the　first　news　of　invasion　he　was　transformed。　

One　may　judge　of　this　fact　on　reading　a　letter　written　by

Elizabeth；　wife　of　the　Emperor　Alexander　I。



‘‘From　the　moment　when　Napoleon　had　crossed　our　frontiers　it　was

as　though　an　electric　spark　had　spread　through　all　Russia；　and　if

the　immensity　of　its　area　had　made　it　possible　for　the　news　to

penetrate　simultaneously　to　every　corner　of　the　Empire　a　cry　of

indignation　would　have　arisen　so　terrible　that　I　believe　it　would

have　resounded　to　the　ends　of　the　earth。　　As　Napoleon　advances

this　feeling　is　growing　yet　stronger。　　Old　men　who　have　lost　all

or　nearly　all　their　goods　are　saying：　　‘We　shall　find　a　way　of

living。　　Anything　is　preferable　to　a　shameful　peace。'　　Women　all

of　whose　kin　are　in　the　army　regard　the　dangers　they　are　running

as　secondary；　and　fear　nothing　but　peace。　　Happily　this　peace；

which　would　be　the　death…warrant　of　Russia；　will　not　be

negotiated；　the　Emperor　does　not　conceive　of　such　an　idea；　and

even　if　he　would　he　could　not。　　This　is　the　heroic　side　of　our

position。''



The　Empress　describes　to　her　mother　the　two　following　traits；

which　give　some　idea　of　the　degree　of　resistance　of　which　the

soul　of　the　Russian　is　capable：



‘‘The　Frenchmen　had　caught　some　unhappy　peasants　in　Moscow；　whom

they　thought　to　force　to　serve　in　their　ranks；　and　in　order　that

they　should　not　be　able　to　escape　they　branded　their　hands　as　one

brands　horses　in　the　stud。　　One　of　them　asked　what　this　mark

meant；　he　was　told　it　signified　that　he　was　a　French　soldier。　

‘What！　　I　am　a　soldier　of　the　Emperor　of　the　French！'　he　said。　

And　immediately　he　took　his　hatchet；　cut　off　his　hand；　and　threw

it　at　the　feet　of　those　present；　saying；　‘Take　itthere's　your

mark！'



‘‘At　Moscow；　too；　the　French　had　taken　a　score　of　peasants　of

whom　they　wished　to　make　an　example　in　order　to　frighten　the

villagers；　who　were　picking　off　the　French　foraging　parties　and

were　making　war　as　well　as　the　detachments　of　regular　troops。　

They　ranged　them　against　a　wall　and　read　their　sentence　in

Russian。　　They　waited　for　them　to　beg　for　mercy：　instead　of　that

they　took　farewell　of　one　another　and　made　their　sign　of　the

cross。　　The　French　fired　on　the　first　of　them；　they　waited　for

the　rest　to　beg　for　pardon　in　their　terror；　and　to　promise　to

change　their　conduct。　　They　fired　on　the　second；　and　on　the

third；　and　so　on　all　the　twenty；　without　a　single　one　having

attempted　to　implore　the　clemency　of　the　enemy。　　Napoleon　has

not　once　had　the　pleasure　of　profaning　this　word　in　Russia。''



Among　the　characteristics　of　the　popular　mind　we　must　mention

that　in　all　peoples　and　all　ages　it　has　been　saturated

with　mysticism。　　The　people　will　always　be　convinced　that

superior　beingsdivinities；　Governments；　or　great　menhave　the

power　to　change　things　at　will。　　This　mystic　side　produces　an

intense　need　of　adoration。　　The　people　must　have　a　fetich；　either

a　man　or　a　doctrine。　　This　is　why；　when　threatened　with　anarchy；

it　calls　for　a　Messiah　to　save　it。



Like　the　crowd；　but　more　slowly；　the　people　readily　passes　from

adoration　to　hatred。　　A　man　may　be　the　hero　of　the　people　at　one

period；　and　finally　earn　its　curses。　　These　variations　of　popular

opinion　concerning　political　personalities　may　be　observed　in　all

times。　　The　history　of　Cromwell　furnishes　us　with　a　very　curious

example。＇5＇





＇5＇　After　having　overthrown　a　dynasty　and　refused　a　crown　he　was

buried　like　a　king　among　kings。　　Two　years　later　his　body　was

torn　from　the　tomb；　and　his　head；　cut　off　by　the　executioner；　was

exposed　above　the　gate　of　the　House　of　Parliament。　　A　little

while　ago　a　statue　was　raised　to　him。　　The　old　anarchist　turned

autocrat　now　figures　in　the　gallery　of　demigods。







4。　　The　Role　of　the　Leader　in　Revolutionary　Movements。





All　the　varieties　of　crowdshomogeneous　and　heterogeneous；

assemblies；　peoples；　clubs；　&c。are；　as　we　have　often　repeated；

aggregates　incapable　of　unity　and　action　so　long　as　they　find　no

master　to　lead　them。



I　have　shown　elsewhere；　making　use　of　certain　physiological

experiments；　that　the　unconscious　collective　mind　of　the　crowd

seems　bound　up　with　the　mind　of　the　leader。　　The　latter　gives　it

a　single　will　and　imposes　absolute　obedience。



The　leader　acts　especially　through　suggestion。　　His　success

depends　on　his　fashion　of　provoking　this　suggestion。　　Many

experiments　have　shown　to　what　point　a　collectivity　may　be

subjected　to　suggestion。＇6＇





＇6＇　Among　the　numerous　experiments　made　to　prove　this　fact　one　of

the　most　remarkable　was　performed　on　the　pupils　of　his　class　by

Professor　Glosson　and　published　in　the　Revue　Scientifique　for

October　28；　1899。



‘‘I　prepared　a　bottle　filled　with　distilled　water　carefully

wrapped　in　cotton　and　packed　in　a　box。　　After　several　other

experiments　I　stated　that　I　wished　to　measure　the　rapidity　with

which　an　odour　would　diffuse　itself　through　the　air；　and　asked

those　present　to　raise　their　hands　the　moment　they　perceived　the

odour。　。　。　。　　I　took　out　the　bottle　and　poured　the　water　on　the

cotton；　turning　my　head　away　during　the　operation；　then　took　up　a

stop…watch　and　awaited　the　result。　。　。　。　　I　explained　that　I　was

absolutely　sure　that　no　one　present　had　ever　smelt　the　odour　of

the　chemical　composition　I　had　spilt。　。　。　。　　At　the　end　of

fifteen　seconds　the　majority　of　those　in　front　had　held　up　their

hands；　and　in　forty　seconds　the　odour　had　reached　the　back　of　the

hall　by　fairly　regular　waves。　　About　three…quarters　of　those

present　declared　that　they　perceived　the　odour。　　A　larger　number

would　doubtless　have　succumbed　to　suggestion；　if　at　the　end　of　a

minute　I　had　not　been　forced　to　stop　the　experiment；　some　of

those　in　the　front　rows　being　unpleasantly　affected　by　the　odour；

and　wishing　to　leave　the　hall。''







According　to　the　suggestions　of　the　leaders；　the　multitude　will

be　calm；　furious；　criminal；　or　heroic。　　These　various　suggestions

may　sometimes　appear　to　present　a　rational　aspect；　but　they　will

only　appear　to　be　reasonable。　　A　crowd　is　in　reality　inaccessible

to　reason；　the　only　ideas　capable　of　influencing　it　will　always

be　sentiments　evoked　in　the　form　of　images。



The　history　of　the　Revolution　shows　on　every　page　how　easily　the

multitude　follows　the　most　contradictory　impulses　given　by

its　different　leaders。　　We　see　it　applaud　just　as　vigorously　at

the　triumph　of　the　Girondists；　the　Hebertists；　the　Dantonists；

and　the　Terrorists　as　at　their　successive　downfalls。　　One　may　be

quite　sure；　also；　that　the　crowd　understood　nothing　of　these

events。



At　a　distance　one　can　only　confusedly　perceive　the　part　played　by

the　leaders；　for　they　commonly　work　in　the　shade。　　To　g