the psychology of revolution-第57章

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Rational　Value。



We　have　seen　that　natural　laws　do　not　agree　with　the　aspirations

of　democracy。　　We　know；　also；　that　such　a　statement　has　never

affected　doctrines　already　in　men's　minds。　　The　man　led　by　a

belief　never　troubles　about　its　real　value。



The　philosopher　who　studies　a　belief　must　obviously　discuss　its

rational　content；　but　he　is　more　concerned　with　its　influences

upon　the　general　mind。



Applied　to　the　interpretation　of　all　the　great　beliefs　of

history；　the　importance　of　this　distinction　is　at　once　evident。　

Jupiter；　Moloch；　Vishnu；　Allah；　and　so　many　other　divinities；

were；　no　doubt；　from　the　rational　point　of　view；　mere　illusions；

yet　their　effect　upon　the　life　of　the　peoples　has　been

considerable。



The　same　distinction　is　applicable　to　the　beliefs　which　prevailed

during　the　Middle　Ages。　　Equally　illusory；　they　nevertheless

exercised　as　profound　an　influence　as　if　they　had　corresponded

with　realities。



If　any　one　doubts　this；　let　him　compare　the　domination　of　the

Roman　Empire　and　that　of　the　Church　of　Rome。　　The　first　was

perfectly　real　and　tangible；　and　implied　no　illusion。　　The

second；　while　its　foundations　were　entirely　chimerical；　was　fully

as　powerful。　　Thanks　to　it；　during　the　long　night　of　the　Middle

Ages；　semi…barbarous　peoples　acquired　those　social　bonds　and

restraints　and　that　national　soul　without　which　there　is　no

civilisation。



The　power　possessed　by　the　Church　proves；　again；　that　the　power

of　certain　illusions　is　sufficiently　great　to　create；　at　least

momentarily；　sentiments　as　contrary　to　the　interests　of　the

individual　as　they　are　to　that　of　societysuch　as　the　love　of

the　monastic　life；　the　desire　for　martyrdom；　the　crusades；　the

religious　wars；　&c。



The　application　to　democratic　and　socialistic　ideas　of　the

preceding　considerations　shows　that　it　matters　little　that　these

ideas　have　no　defensible　basis。　　They　impress　and　influence　men's

minds；　and　that　is　sufficient。　　Their　results　may　be　disastrous

in　the　extreme；　but　we　cannot　prevent　them。



The　apostles　of　the　new　doctrines　are　quite　wrong　in　taking　so

much　trouble　to　find　a　rational　basis　for　their　aspirations。　

They　would　be　far　more　convincing　were　they　to　confine　themselves

to　making　affirmations　and　awakening　hopes。　　Their　real　strength

resides　in　the　religious　mentality　which　is　inherent　in　the　heart

of　man；　and　which　during　the　ages　has　only　changed　its　object。



Later　on　we　shall　consider　from　a　philosophical　point　of　view

various　consequences　of　the　democratic　evolution　whose　course　we

see　accelerating。　　We　may　say　in　respect　of　the　Church　in　the

Middle　Ages　that　it　had　the　power　of　profoundly　influencing　the

mentality　of　men。　　Examining　certain　results　of　the

democratic　doctrines；　we　shall　see　that　the　power　of　these　is　no

less　than　that　of　the　Church。





2。　　The　Jacobin　Spirit　and　the　Mentality　created　by　Democratic

Beliefs。





Existing　generations　have　inherited；　not　only　the　revolutionary

principles　but　also　the　special　mentality　which　achieves　their

success。



Describing　this　mentality　when　we　were　examining　the　Jacobin

spirit；　we　saw　that　it　always　endeavours　to　impose　by　force

illusions　which　it　regards　as　the　truth。　　The　Jacobin　spirit　has

finally　become　so　general　in　France　and　in　other　Latin　countries

that　it　has　affected　all　political　parties；　even　the　most

conservative。　　The　bourgeoisie　is　strongly　affected　by　it；　and

the　people　still　more　so。



This　increase　of　the　Jacobin　spirit　has　resulted　in　the　fact　that

political　conceptions；　institutions；　and　laws　tend　to　impose

themselves　by　force。　　Syndicalism；　peaceful　enough　in　other

countries；　immediately　assumed　in　France　an　uncompromising　and

anarchical　aspect；　which　betrayed　itself　in　the　shape　of　riots；

sabotage；　and　incendiarism。



Not　to　be　repressed　by　timid　Governments；　the　Jacobin　spirit

produces　melancholy　ravages　in　minds　of　mediocre　capacity。　　At　a

recent　congress　of　railway　men　a　third　of　the　delegates　voted

approval　of　sabotage；　and　one　of　the　secretaries　of　the

Congress　began　his　speech　by　saying：　　‘‘I　send　all　saboteurs　my

fraternal　greeting　and　all　my　admiration。''



This　general　mentality　engenders　an　increasing　anarchy。　　That

France　is　not　in　a　permanent　state　of　anarchy　is；　as　I　have

already　remarked；　due　to　the　fact　that　the　parties　by　which　she

is　divided　produce　something　like　equilibrium。　　They　are　animated

by　a　mortal　hatred　for　one　another；　but　none　of　them　is　strong

enough　to　enslave　its　rivals。



This　Jacobin　intolerance　is　spreading　to　such　an　extent　that　the

rulers　themselves　employ　without　scruple　the　most　revolutionary

tactics　with　regard　to　their　enemies；　violently　persecuting　any

party　that　offers　the　least　resistance；　and　even　despoiling　it　of

its　property。　　Our　rulers　to…day　behave　as　the　ancient　conquerors

used；　the　vanquished　have　nothing　to　hope　from　the　victors。



Far　from　being　peculiar　to　the　lower　orders；　intolerance　is

equally　prominent　among　the　ruling　classes。　　Michelet　remarked

long　ago　that　the　violence　of　the　cultivated　classes　is　often

greater　than　that　of　the　people。　　It　is　true　that　they　do　not

break　the　street　lamps；　but　they　are　ready　enough　to　cause　heads

to　be　broken。　　The　worst　violence　of　the　revolution　was　the　work

of　cultivated　bourgeoisieprofessors；　lawyers；　&c。；　possessors

of　that　classical　education　which　is　supposed　to　soften　the

manners。　　It　has　not　done　so　in　these　days；　any　more　than　it　did

of　old。　　One　can　make　sure　of　this　by　reading　the　advanced

journals；　whose　contributors　and　editors　are　recruited　chiefly

from　among　the　professors　of　the　University。



Their　books　are　as　violent　as　their　articles；　and　one　wonders　how

such　favourites　of　fortune　can　have　secreted　such　stores　of

hatred。



One　would　find　it　hard　to　credit　them　did　they　assure　us　that

they　were　consumed　by　an　intense　passion　for　altruism。　　One　

might　more　readily　admit　that　apart　from　a　narrow　religious

mentality　the　hope　of　being　remarked　by　the　mighty　ones　of　the

day；　or　of　creating　a　profitable　popularity；　is　the　only　

possible　explanation　of　the　violence　recommended　in　their　

written　propaganda。



I　have　already；　in　one　of　my　preceding　works；　cited　some　passages

from　a　book　written　by　a　professor　at　the　College　of　France；　in

which　the　author　incites　the　people　to　seize　upon　the　riches　of

the　bourgeoisie；　whom　he　furiously　abuses；　and　have　arrived　at

the　conclusion　that　a　new　revolution　would　readily　find　among　the

authors　of　such　books　the　Marats；　Robespierres；　and　Carriers　whom

it　might　require。



The　Jacobin　religionabove　all　in　its　Socialist　formhas　all

the　power　of　the　ancient　faiths　over　feeble　minds　Blinded　by

their　faith；　they　believe　that　reason　is　their　guide；　but　are

really　actuated　solely　by　their　passions　and　their　dreams。



The　evolution　of　democratic　ideas　has　thus　produced　not　only　the

political　results　already　mentioned；　but　also　a　considerable

effect　upon　the　mentality　of　modern　men。



If　the　ancient　dogmas　have　long　ago　exhausted　their　power；　the

theories　of　democracy　are　far　from　having　lost　theirs；　and　we　see

their　consequences　increasing　daily。　　One　of　the　chief　results

has　been　the　general　hatred　of　superiority。



This　hatred　of　whatever　passes　the　average　in　social　fortune　or

intelligence　is　to…day　general　in　all　classes；　from　the　working…

classes　to　the　upper　strata　of　the　bourgeoisie。　　The　results

are　envy；　detraction；　and　a　love　of　attack；　of　raillery；　of

persecution；　and　a　habit　of　attributing　all　actions　to　low

motives；　of　refusing　to　believe　in　probity；　disinterestedness；

and　intelligence。



Conversation；　among　the　people　as　among　the　most　cultivated

Frenchmen；　is　stamped　with　the　craze　for　abasing　and　abusing

everything　and　everyone。　　Even　the　greatest　of　the　dead　do　not

escape　this　tendency。　　Never　were　so　many　books　written　to

depreciate　the　merit　of　fa