the psychology of revolution-第31章

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survives；　and　is　still　productive　of　effects。



It　was　certainly　not　the　Revolution　that　introduced　the　idea　of

equality　into　the　world。　　Without　going　back　even　to　the　Greek

republics；　we　may　remark　that　the　theory　of　equality　was　taught

in　the　clearest　fashion　by　Christianity　and　Islamism。　　All　men；

subjects　of　the　one　God；　were　equal　before　Him；　and　judged　solely

according　to　their　merits。　　The　dogma　of　the　equality　of　souls

before　God　was　an　essential　dogma　with　Mohammedans　as　well　as

with　Christians。



But　to　proclaim　a　principle　is　not　enough　to　secure　its

observation。　　The　Christian　Church　soon　renounced　its　theoretical

equality；　and　the　men　of　the　Revolution　only　remembered　it　in

their　speeches。



The　sense　of　the　term　‘‘equality''　varies　according　to　the

persons　using　it。　　It　often　conceals　sentiments　very　contrary　to

its　real　sense；　and　then　represents　the　imperious　need　of　having

no　one　above　one；　joined　to　the　no　less　lively　desire　to　feel

above　others。　　With　the　Jacobins　of　the　Revolution；　as　with　those

of　our　days；　the　word　‘‘equality''　simply　involves　a　jealous

hatred　of　all　superiority。　　To　efface　superiority；　such　men

pretend　to　unify　manners；　customs；　and　situations。　　All

despotisms　but　that　exercised　by　themselves　seem　odious。



Not　being　able　to　avoid　the　natural　inequalities；　they　deny　them。



The　second　Declaration　of　Rights；　that　of　1793；　affirms；　contrary

to　the　evidence；　that　‘‘all　men　are　equal　by　nature。''



It　would　seem　that　in　many　of　the　men　of　the　Revolution

the　ardent　desire　for　equality　merely　concealed　an　intense　need

of　inequalities。　　Napoleon　was　obliged　to　re…establish　titles　of

nobility　and　decorations　for　their　benefit。　　Having　shown　that　it

was　among　the　most　rabid　revolutionists　that　he　found　the　most

docile　instruments　of　domination；　Taine　continues：



‘‘Suddenly；　through　all　their　preaching　of　liberty　and　equality；

appeared　their　authoritative　instincts；　their　need　of　commanding；

even　as　subordinates；　and　also；　in　most　cases；　an　appetite　for

money　or　for　pleasure。　　Between　the　delegate　of　the　Committee　of

Public　Safety　and　the　minister；　prefect；　or　subprefect　of　the

Empire　the　difference　is　small：　it　is　the　same　man　under　the　two

costumes；　first　en　carmagnole；　then　in　the　braided　coat。''



The　dogma　of　equality　had　as　its　first　consequence　the

proclamation　of　popular　sovereignty　by　the　bourgeoisie。　　This

sovereignty　remained　otherwise　highly　theoretical　during　the

whole　Revolution。



The　principle　of　authority　was　the　lasting　legacy　of　the

Revolution。　　The　two　terms　‘‘liberty''　and　‘‘fraternity''　which

accompany　it　in　the　republican　device　had　never　much　influence。　

We　may　even　say　that　they　had　none　during　the　Revolution　and　the

Empire；　but　merely　served　to　decorate　men's　speeches。



Their　influence　was　hardly　more　considerable　later。　　Fraternity

was　never　practised　and　the　peoples　have　never　cared　much　for

liberty。　　To…day　our　working…men　have　completely　surrendered　it

to　their　unions。



To　sum　up：　although　the　Republican　motto　has　been　little

applied　it　has　exerted　a　very　great　influence。　　Of　the　French

Revolution　practically　nothing　has　remained　in　the　popular　mind

but　the　three　celebrated　words　which　sum　up　its　gospel；　and　which

its　armies　spread　over　Europe。







BOOK　II



THE　RATIONAL；　AFFECTIVE；　MYSTIC；　AND　COLLECTIVE　INFLUENCES　ACTIVE

DURING　THE　REVOLUTION



CHAPTER　I



THE　PSYCHOLOGY　OF　THE　CONSTITUENT　ASSEMBLY



1。　　Psychological　Influences　active　during　the　French　Revolution。



The　genesis　of　the　French　Revolution；　as　well　as　its　duration；

was　conditioned　by　elements　of　a　rational；　affective；　mystic；　and

collective　nature；　each　category　of　which　was　ruled　by　a

different　logic。　　It　is；　as　I　have　said；　because　they　have　not

been　able　to　dissociate　the　respective　influences　of　these

factors　that　so　many　historians　have　interpreted　this　period　so

indifferently



The　rational　element　usually　invoked　as　an　explanation　exerted　in

reality　but　a　very　slight　influence。　　It　prepared　the　way　for　the

Revolution；　but　maintained　it　only　at　the　outset；　while　it　was

still　exclusively　middle…class。　　Its　action　was　manifested　by

many　measures　of　the　time；　such　as　the　proposals　to　reform　the

taxes；　the　suppression　of　the　privileges　of　a　useless　nobility；

&c。



As　soon　as　the　Revolution　reached　the　people；　the　influence　of

the　rational　elements　speedily　vanished　before　that　of　the

affective　and　collective　elements。　　As　for　the　mystic　elements；

the　foundation　of　the　revolutionary　faith；　they　made　the　army

fanatical　and　propagated　the　new　belief　throughout　the　world。



We　shall　see　these　various　elements　as　they　appeared　in　events

and　in　the　psychology　of　individuals。　　Perhaps　the　most　important

was　the　mystic　element。　　The　Revolution　cannot　be　clearly

comprehendedwe　cannot　repeat　it　too　oftenunless　it　is

considered　as　the　formation　of　a　religious　belief。　　What　I　have

said　elsewhere　of　all　beliefs　applies　equally　to　the　Revolution。　

Referring；　for　instance；　to　the　chapter　on　the　Reformation；　the

reader　will　see　that　it　presents　more　than　one　analogy　with　the

Revolution。



Having　wasted　so　much　time　in　demonstrating　the　slight　rational

value　of　beliefs；　the　philosophers　are　to…day　beginning　to

understand　their　function　better。　　They　have　been　forced　to　admit

that　these　are　the　only　factors　which　possess　an　influence

sufficient　to　transform　all　the　elements　of　a　civilisation。



They　impose　themselves　on　men　apart　from　reason　and　have　the

power　to　polarise　men's　thoughts　and　feelings　in　one　direction。　

Pure　reason　had　never　such　a　power；　for　men　were　never

impassioned　by　reason。



The　religious　form　rapidly　assumed　by　the　Revolution　explains　its

power　of　expansion　and　the　prestige　which　it　possessed　and　has

retained。



Few　historians　have　understood　that　this　great　monument　ought　to

be　regarded　as　the　foundation　of　a　new　religion。　　The　penetrating

mind　of　Tocqueville；　I　believe；　was　the　first　to　perceive　as

much。



‘‘The　French　Revolution；''　he　wrote；　‘‘was　a　political　revolution

which　operated　in　the　manner　of　and　assumed　something　of　the

aspect　of　a　religious　revolution。　　See　by　what　regular　and

characteristic　traits　it　finally　resembled　the　latter：　not　only

did　it　spread　itself　far　and　wide　like　a　religious　revolution；

but；　like　the　latter；　it　spread　itself　by　means　of　preaching　and

propaganda。　　A　political　revolution　which　inspires　proselytes；

which　is　preached　as　passionately　to　foreigners　as　it　is

accomplished　at　home：　consider　what　a　novel　spectacle　was　this。''



The　religious　side　of　the　Revolution　being　granted；　the

accompanying　fury　and　devastation　are　easily　explained。　　History

shows　us　that　such　are　always　the　accompaniments　of　the　birth　of

religions。　　The　Revolution　was　therefore　certain　to　provoke　the

violence　and　intolerance　the　triumphant　deities　demand　from　their

adepts。　　It　overturned　all　Europe　for　twenty　years；　ruined

France；　caused　the　death　of　millions　of　men；　and　cost　the　country

several　invasions：　but　it　is　as　a　rule　only　at　the　cost　of　such

catastrophes　that　a　people　can　change　its　beliefs。



Although　the　mystic　element　is　always　the　foundation　of　beliefs；

certain　affective　and　rational　elements　are　quickly　added

thereto。　　A　belief　thus　serves　to　group　sentiments　and　passions

and　interests　which　belong　to　the　affective　domain。　　Reason　then

envelops　the　whole；　seeking　to　justify　events　in　which；　however；

it　played　no　part　whatever。



At　the　moment　of　the　Revolution　every　one；　according　to　his

aspirations；　dressed　the　new　belief　in　a　different　rational

vesture。　　The　peoples　saw　in　it　only　the　suppression　of　the

religious　and　political　despotisms　and　hierarchies　under

which　they　had　so　often　suffered。　　Writers　like　Goethe　and

thinkers　like　Kant　imagined　that　they　saw　in　it　the　triumph　of

reason。　　Foreigners　like　Humboldt