the psychology of revolution-第50部分

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！



a　mass　of　experience；　accumulated　in　so　short　a　time。



On　each　page　of　this　great　drama　we　have　found　numerous

applications　of　the　principles　expounded　in　my　various　works；

concerning　the　transitory　mentality　of　crowds　and　the　permanent

soul　of　the　peoples；　the　action　of　beliefs；　the　influence　of

mystic；　affective；　and　collective　elements；　and　the　conflict

between　the　various　forms　of　logic。



The　Revolutionary　Assemblies　illustrate　all　the　known　laws　of　the

psychology　of　crowds。　　Impulsive　and　timid；　they　are　dominated　by

a　small　number　of　leaders；　and　usually　act　in　a　sense　contrary　to

the　wishes　of　their　individual　members。



The　Royalist　Constituent　Assembly　destroyed　an　ancient　monarchy；

the　humanitarian　Legislative　Assembly　allowed　the　massacres　of

September。　　The　same　pacific　body　led　France　into　the　most

formidable　campaigns。



There　were　similar　contradictions　during　the　Convention。　　The

immense　majority　of　its　members　abhorred　violence。　　Sentimental

philosophers；　they　exalted　equality；　fraternity；　and　liberty；　yet

ended　by　exerting　the　most　terrible　despotism。



The　same　contradictions　were　visible　during　the　Directory。　

Extremely　moderate　in　their　intentions　at　the　outset；　the

Assemblies　were　continually　effecting　bloodthirsty　coups

d'etat。　　They　wished　to　re…establish　religious　peace；　and

finally　sent　thousands　of　priests　into　imprisonment。　　They　wished

to　repair　the　ruins　which　covered　France；　and　only　succeeded　in

adding　to　them。



Thus　there　was　always　a　complete　contradiction　between　the

individual　wills　of　the　men　of　the　revolutionary　period　and　the

deeds　of　the　Assemblies　of　which　they　were　units。



The　truth　is　that　they　obeyed　invisible　forces　of　which　they　were

not　the　masters。　　Believing　that　they　acted　in　the　name　of　pure

reason；　they　were　really　subject　to　mystic；　affective；　and

collective　influences；　incomprehensible　to　them；　and　which　we　are

only　to…day　beginning　to　understand。





Intelligence　has　progressed　in　the　course　of　the　ages；　and　has

opened　a　marvellous　outlook　to　man；　although　his　character；　the

real　foundation　of　his　mind；　and　the　sure　motive　of　his　actions；

has　scarcely　changed。　　Overthrown　one　moment；　it　reappears　the

next。　　Human　nature　must　be　accepted　as　it　is。



The　founders　of　the　Revolution　did　not　resign　themselves　to　the

facts　of　human　nature。　　For　the　first　time　in　the　history

of　humanity　they　attempted　to　transform　men　and　society　in　the

name　of　reason。



Never　was　any　undertaking　commenced　with　such　chances　of　success。　

The　theorists；　who　claimed　to　effect　it；　had　a　power　in　their

hands　greater　than　that　of　any　despot。



Yet；　despite　this　power；　despite　the　success　of　the　armies；

despite　Draconian　laws　and　repeated　coups　d'etat；　the

Revolution　merely　heaped　ruin　upon　ruin；　and　ended　in　a

dictatorship。



Such　an　attempt　was　not　useless；　since　experience　is　necessary　to

the　education　of　the　peoples。　　Without　the　Revolution　it　would

have　been　difficult　to　prove　that　pure　reason　does　not　enable　us

to　change　human　nature；　and；　consequently；　that　no　society　can　be

rebuilt　by　the　will　of　legislators；　however　absolute　their　power。





Commenced　by　the　middle　classes　for　their　own　profit；　the

Revolution　speedily　became　a　popular　movement；　and　at　the　same

time　a　struggle　of　the　instinctive　against　the　rational；　a　revolt

against　all　the　constraints　which　make　civilisation　out　of

barbarism。　　It　was　by　relying　on　the　principle　of　popular

sovereignty　that　the　reformers　attempted　to　impose　their

doctrines。　　Guided　by　leaders；　the　people　intervened　incessantly

in　the　deliberations　of　the　Assemblies；　and　committed　the　most

sanguinary　acts　of　violence。



The　history　of　the　multitudes　during　the　Revolution　is　eminently

instructive。　　It　shows　the　error　of　the　politicians　who　attribute

all　the　virtues　to　the　popular　soul。



The　facts　of　the　Revolution　teach　us；　on　the　contrary；　that　a

people　freed　from　social　constraints；　the　foundations　of

civilisation；　and　abandoned　to　its　instinctive　impulses；　speedily

relapses　into　its　ancestral　savagery。　　Every　popular　revolution

which　succeeds　in　triumphing　is　a　temporary　return　to　barbarism。　

If　the　Commune　of　1871　had　lasted；　it　would　have　repeated　the

Terror。　　Not　having　the　power　to　kill　so　many　people；　it　had　to

confine　itself　to　burning　the　principal　monuments　of　the　capital。



The　Revolution　represents　the　conflict　of　psychological　forces

liberated　from　the　bonds　whose　function　it　is　to　restrain　them。　

Popular　instincts；　Jacobin　beliefs；　ancestral　influences；

appetites；　and　passions　unloosed；　all　these　various　influences

engaged　in　a　furious　mutual　conflict　for　the　space　of　ten　years；

during　which　time　they　soaked　France　in　blood　and　covered　the

land　with　ruins。



Seen　from　a　distance；　this　seems　to　be　the　whole　upshot　of　the

Revolution。　　There　was　nothing　homogeneous　about　it。　　One　must

resort　to　analysis　before　one　can　understand　and　grasp　the　great

drama　and　display　the　impulses　which　continually　actuated　its

heroes。　　In　normal　times　we　are　guided　by　the　various　forms　of

logicrational；　affective；　collective；　and　mysticwhich　more　or

less　perfectly　balance　one　another。　　During　seasons　of　upheaval

they　enter　into　conflict；　and　man　is　no　longer　himself。





We　have　by　no　means　undervalued　in　this　work　the　importance　of

certain　acquisitions　of　the　Revolution　in　respect　of　the　rights

of　the　people。　　But　with　many　other　historians；　we　are

forced　to　admit　that　the　prize　gained　at　the　cost　of　such　ruin

and　bloodshed　would　have　been　obtained　at　a　later　date　without

effort；　by　the　mere　progress　of　civilisation。　　For　a　few　years

gained；　what　a　load　of　material　disaster；　what　moral

disintegration！　　We　are　still　suffering　as　a　result　of　the

latter。　　These　brutal　pages　in　the　book　of　history　will　take　long

to　efface：　they　are　not　effaced　as　yet。



Our　young　men　of　to…day　seem　to　prefer　action　to　thought。　

Disdaining　the　sterile　dissertations　of　the　philosophers；　they

take　no　interest　in　vain　speculation　concerning　matters　whose

essential　nature　remains　unknown。



Action　is　certainly　an　excellent　thing；　and　all　real　progress　is

a　result　of　action；　but　it　is　only　useful　when　properly　directed。　

The　men　of　the　Revolution　were　assuredly　men　of　action；　yet　the

illusions　which　they　accepted　as　guides　led　them　to　disaster。



Action　is　always　hurtful　when；　despising　realities；　it　professes

violently　to　change　the　course　of　events。　　One　cannot　experiment

with　society　as　with　apparatus　in　a　laboratory。　　Our　political

upheavals　show　us　what　such　social　errors　may　cost。



Although　the　lesson　of　the　Revolution　was　extremely　categorical；

many　unpractical　spirits；　hallucinated　by　their　dreams；　are

hoping　to　recommence　it。　　Socialism；　the　modern　synthesis　of　this

hope；　would　be　a　regression　to　lower　forms　of　evolution；　for　it

would　paralyse　the　greatest　sources　of　our　activity。　　By

replacing　individual　initiative　and　responsibility　by　collective

initiative　and　responsibility　mankind　would　descend　several　steps

on　the　scale　of　human　values。



The　present　time　is　hardly　favourable　to　such　experiments。　　While

dreamers　are　pursuing　their　dreams；　exciting　appetites　and　the

passions　of　the　multitude；　the　peoples　are　every　day　arming

themselves　more　powerfully。　　All　feel　that　amid　the　universal

competition　of　the　present　time　there　is　no　room　for　weak

nations。



In　the　centre　of　Europe　a　formidable　military　Power　is　increasing

in　strength；　and　aspiring　to　dominate　the　world；　in　order　to　find

outlets　for　its　goods；　and　for　an　increasing　population；　which　it

will　soon　be　unable　to　nourish。



If　we　continue　to　shatter　our　cohesion　by　intestine　struggles；

party　rivalries；　base　religious　persecutions；　and　laws　which

fetter　industrial　development；　our　part　in　the　world　will　soon　be

over。　　We　shall　have　to　make　room　for　peoples　more　solidly　knit；

who　have　been　able　to　adapt　themselves　to　natural　necessities

instead　of　pretending　to　turn　back　upon　their　course。　　The

present　does　not　repeat　the　past；　and　the　details　of　history　are

full　of　unforeseen　consequences；　but　in　their　main　lines　events

are　conditioned　by　eternal　laws。







INDEX



Absolute　monarchy；　the

Acceleration　of　forces　of　violence

Administrations；　real　ruling　forces

Affective　logic

Affirmation；　power　of

Alexander　I　of　Russia

Alsace　loss　of

Ambition；　as　a　motive　of　revolution

Anarchy；　followed　by　dictatorship；　mental

Ancestral　soul

Ancien　regime；　bases　of　the；　inconveniences　of；　life　under；

dissolution　of　

Ancients；　Council　of　

Anti…clerical　laws　

Armies；　of　the　Republic；　character　of；　victories　of；　causes　of

success　

Army；　role　of；　in　revolution；　in　1789　

Assemblies；　the　Revolutionary；　psychology　of；　obedient　to　the

clubs；　see　National；　Constituent；　Legislative　Assemblies；

Convention；　&c。

Assignats

Augustine；　St。

Aulaud；　M。

Austria；　revolution　in；　royalist　illusions　as　to　her　attitude；

attacks　the　Republic



Balfour；　Rt。　Hon。　A。　J。；　on　coal　strike　

Barras　

Barrere　

Bartholomew；　St。；　Massacre　of；　European　rejoicing　over　

Bastille；　taking　of　the　

Battifol；　M。　

Bayle；　P。

Beaulieu；　Edict　of　

Bedouin；　executions　at　

Belgium；　invasion　of　

Beliefs；　affective　and　mystic　origin　of；　intolerance　of；

justification　of；　intolerance　greatest　between　allied　beliefs；

intolerance　of　democratic　and　socialistic　beliefs

Berquin；　executed　by　Sorbonne　

Berry；　Duchess　de　

Billaud…Varenne　

Bismarck

Blanc；　Louis　

Blois；　States　of　

Bonaparte；　see　Napoleon

Bonnal；　General　

Bossuet　

Bourdeau；　M。　

Bourgeoisie；　their　jealousy　of　the　nobles　causes　the　Revolution；

their　thirst　for　revenge；　the　real　authors　of　the　Revolution；

philosophic　ideas　of

Brazilian　Revolution；　the

Britanny；　revolt　in

Broglie；　de

Brumaire；　coup　d'etat　of

Brunswic