the crowd-第4章

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BOOK　I


THE　MIND　OF　CROWDS


CHAPTER　I

GENERAL　CHARACTERISTICS　OF　CROWDS。PSYCHOLOGICAL　LAW　OF　THEIR　MENTAL　UNITY。

What　constitutes　a　crowd　from　the　psychological　point　of　viewA　numerically　strong　agglomeration　of　individuals　does　not　suffice　to　form　a　crowdSpecial　characteristics　of　psychological　crowdsThe　turning　in　a　fixed　direction　of　the　ideas　and　sentiments　of　individuals　composing　such　a　crowd；　and　the　disappearance　of　their　personalityThe　crowd　is　always　dominated　by　considerations　of　which　it　is　unconsciousThe　disappearance　of　brain　activity　and　the　predominance　of　medullar　activityThe　lowering　of　the　intelligence　and　the　complete　transformation　of　the　sentimentsThe　transformed　sentiments　may　be　better　or　worse　than　those　of　the　individuals　of　which　the　crowd　is　composedA　crowd　is　as　easily　heroic　as　criminal。


In　its　ordinary　sense　the　word　〃crowd〃　means　a　gathering　of　individuals　of　whatever　nationality；　profession；　or　sex；　and　whatever　be　the　chances　that　have　brought　them　together。　　From　the　psychological　point　of　view　the　expression　〃crowd〃　assumes　quite　a　different　signification。　　Under　certain　given　circumstances；　and　only　under　those　circumstances；　an　agglomeration　of　men　presents　new　characteristics　very　different　from　those　of　the　individuals　composing　it。　　The　sentiments　and　ideas　of　all　the　persons　in　the　gathering　take　one　and　the　same　direction；　and　their　conscious　personality　vanishes。　　A　collective　mind　is　formed；　doubtless　transitory；　but　presenting　very　clearly　defined　characteristics。　　The　gathering　has　thus　become　what；　in　the　absence　of　a　better　expression；　I　will　call　an　organised　crowd；　or；　if　the　term　is　considered　preferable；　a　psychological　crowd。　　It　forms　a　single　being；　and　is　subjected　to　the　LAW　OF　THE　MENTAL　UNITY　OF　CROWDS。

It　is　evident　that　it　is　not　by　the　mere　fact　of　a　number　of　individuals　finding　themselves　accidentally　side　by　side　that　they　acquire　the　character　of　an　organised　crowd。　　A　thousand　individuals　accidentally　gathered　in　a　public　place　without　any　determined　object　in　no　way　constitute　a　crowd　from　the　psychological　point　of　view。　　To　acquire　the　special　characteristics　of　such　a　crowd；　the　influence　is　necessary　of　certain　predisposing　causes　of　which　we　shall　have　to　determine　the　nature。

The　disappearance　of　conscious　personality　and　the　turning　of　feelings　and　thoughts　in　a　definite　direction；　which　are　the　primary　characteristics　of　a　crowd　about　to　become　organised；　do　not　always　involve　the　simultaneous　presence　of　a　number　of　individuals　on　one　spot。　　Thousands　of　isolated　individuals　may　acquire　at　certain　moments；　and　under　the　influence　of　certain　violent　emotionssuch；　for　example；　as　a　great　national　eventthe　characteristics　of　a　psychological　crowd。　　It　will　be　sufficient　in　that　case　that　a　mere　chance　should　bring　them　together　for　their　acts　to　at　once　assume　the　characteristics　peculiar　to　the　acts　of　a　crowd。　　At　certain　moments　half　a　dozen　men　might　constitute　a　psychological　crowd；　which　may　not　happen　in　the　case　of　hundreds　of　men　gathered　together　by　accident。　　On　the　other　hand；　an　entire　nation；　though　there　may　be　no　visible　agglomeration；　may　become　a　crowd　under　the　action　of　certain　influences。

A　psychological　crowd　once　constituted；　it　acquires　certain　provisional　but　determinable　general　characteristics。　　To　these　general　characteristics　there　are　adjoined　particular　characteristics　which　vary　according　to　the　elements　of　which　the　crowd　is　composed；　and　may　modify　its　mental　constitution。　Psychological　crowds；　then；　are　susceptible　of　classification；　and　when　we　come　to　occupy　ourselves　with　this　matter；　we　shall　see　that　a　heterogeneous　crowdthat　is；　a　crowd　composed　of　dissimilar　elementspresents　certain　characteristics　in　common　with　homogeneous　crowdsthat　is；　with　crowds　composed　of　elements　more　or　less　akin　（sects；　castes；　and　classes）and　side　by　side　with　these　common　characteristics　particularities　which　permit　of　the　two　kinds　of　crowds　being　differentiated。

But　before　occupying　ourselves　with　the　different　categories　of　crowds；　we　must　first　of　all　examine　the　characteristics　common　to　them　all。　　We　shall　set　to　work　like　the　naturalist；　who　begins　by　describing　the　general　characteristics　common　to　all　the　members　of　a　family　before　concerning　himself　with　the　particular　characteristics　which　allow　the　differentiation　of　the　genera　and　species　that　the　family　includes。

It　is　not　easy　to　describe　the　mind　of　crowds　with　exactness；　because　its　organisation　varies　not　only　according　to　race　and　composition；　but　also　according　to　the　nature　and　intensity　of　the　exciting　causes　to　which　crowds　are　subjected。　　The　same　difficulty；　however；　presents　itself　in　the　psychological　study　of　an　individual。　　It　is　only　in　novels　that　individuals　are　found　to　traverse　their　whole　life　with　an　unvarying　character。　It　is　only　the　uniformity　of　the　environment　that　creates　the　apparent　uniformity　of　characters。　　I　have　shown　elsewhere　that　all　mental　constitutions　contain　possibilities　of　character　which　may　be　manifested　in　consequence　of　a　sudden　change　of　environment。　　This　explains　how　it　was　that　among　the　most　savage　members　of　the　French　Convention　were　to　be　found　inoffensive　citizens　who；　under　ordinary　circumstances；　would　have　been　peaceable　notaries　or　virtuous　magistrates。　　The　storm　past；　they　resumed　their　normal　character　of　quiet；　law…abiding　citizens。　Napoleon　found　amongst　them　his　most　docile　servants。

It　being　impossible　to　study　here　all　the　successive　degrees　of　organisation　of　crowds；　we　shall　concern　ourselves　more　especially　with　such　crowds　as　have　attained　to　the　phase　of　complete　organisation。　　In　this　way　we　shall　see　what　crowds　may　become；　but　not　what　they　invariably　are。　　It　is　only　in　this　advanced　phase　of　organisation　that　certain　new　and　special　characteristics　are　superposed　on　the　unvarying　and　dominant　character　of　the　race；　then　takes　place　that　turning　already　alluded　to　of　all　the　feelings　and　thoughts　of　the　collectivity　in　an　identical　direction。　　It　is　only　under　such　circumstances；　too；　that　what　I　have　called　above　the　PSYCHOLOGICAL　LAW　OF　THE　MENTAL　UNITY　OF　CROWDS　comes　into　play。

Among　the　psychological　characteristics　of　crowds　there　are　some　that　they　may　present　in　common　with　isolated　individuals；　and　others；　on　the　contrary；　which　are　absolutely　peculiar　to　them　and　are　only　to　be　met　with　in　collectivities。　　It　is　these　special　characteristics　that　we　shall　study；　first　of　all；　in　order　to　show　their　importance。

The　most　striking　peculiarity　presented　by　a　psychological　crowd　is　the　following：　Whoever　be　the　individuals　that　compose　it；　however　like　or　unlike　be　their　mode　of　life；　their　occupations；　their　character；　or　their　intelligence；　the　fact　that　they　have　been　transformed　into　a　crowd　puts　them　in　possession　of　a　sort　of　collective　mind　which　makes　them　feel；　think；　and　act　in　a　manner　quite　different　from　that　in　which　each　individual　of　them　would　feel；　think；　and　act　were　he　in　a　state　of　isolation。　There　are　certain　ideas　and　feelings　which　do　not　come　into　being；　or　do　not　transform　themselves　into　acts　except　in　the　case　of　individuals　forming　a　crowd。　　The　psychological　crowd　is　a　provisional　being　formed　of　heterogeneous　elements；　which　for　a　moment　are　combined；　exactly　as　the　cells　which　constitute　a　living　body　form　by　their　reunion　a　new　being　which　displays　characteristics　very　different　from　those　possessed　by　each　of　the　cells　singly。

Contrary　to　an　opinion　which　one　is　astonished　to　find　coming　from　the　pen　of　so　acute　a　philosopher　as　Herbert　Spencer；　in　the　aggregate　which　constitutes　a　crowd　there　is　in　no　sort　a　summing…up　of　or　an　average　struck　between　its　elements。　　What　really　takes　place　is　a　combination　followed　by　the　creation　of　new　characteristics；　just　as　in　chemistry　certain　elements；　when　brought　into　contactbases　and　acids；　for　examplecombine　to　form　a　new　body　possessing　properties　quite　different　from　those　of　the　bodies　that　have　served　to　form　it。

It　is　easy　to　prove　how　much　the　individual　forming　part　of　a　crowd　differs　from　the　isolated　individual；　but　it　is　less　easy　to　discover　the　causes