the crowd-第19部分

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the　same　words　most　often　have　very　different　meanings　for　the　different　social　classes；　who　employ　in　appearance　the　same　words；　but　never　speak　the　same　language。

In　the　preceding　examples　it　is　especially　time　that　has　been　made　to　intervene　as　the　principal　factor　in　the　changing　of　the　meaning　of　words。　　If；　however；　we　also　make　race　intervene；　we　shall　then　see　that；　at　the　same　period；　among　peoples　equally　civilised　but　of　different　race；　the　same　words　very　often　correspond　to　extremely　dissimilar　ideas。　　It　is　impossible　to　understand　these　differences　without　having　travelled　much；　and　for　this　reason　I　shall　not　insist　upon　them。　　I　shall　confine　myself　to　observing　that　it　is　precisely　the　words　most　often　employed　by　the　masses　which　among　different　peoples　possess　the　most　different　meanings。　　Such　is　the　case；　for　instance；　with　the　words　〃democracy〃　and　〃socialism〃　in　such　frequent　use　nowadays。

In　reality　they　correspond　to　quite　contrary　ideas　and　images　in　the　Latin　and　Anglo…Saxon　mind。　　For　the　Latin　peoples　the　word　〃democracy〃　signifies　more　especially　the　subordination　of　the　will　and　the　initiative　of　the　individual　to　the　will　and　the　initiative　of　the　community　represented　by　the　State。　　It　is　the　State　that　is　charged；　to　a　greater　and　greater　degree；　with　the　direction　of　everything；　the　centralisation；　the　monopolisation；　and　the　manufacture　of　everything。　　To　the　State　it　is　that　all　parties　without　exception；　radicals；　socialists；　or　monarchists；　constantly　appeal。　　Among　the　Anglo…Saxons　and　notably　in　America　this　same　word　〃democracy〃　signifies；　on　the　contrary；　the　intense　development　of　the　will　of　the　individual；　and　as　complete　a　subordination　as　possible　of　the　State；　which；　with　the　exception　of　the　police；　the　army；　and　diplomatic　relations；　is　not　allowed　the　direction　of　anything；　not　even　of　public　instruction。　　It　is　seen；　then；　that　the　same　word　which　signifies　for　one　people　the　subordination　of　the　will　and　the　initiative　of　the　individual　and　the　preponderance　of　the　State；　signifies　for　another　the　excessive　development　of　the　will　and　the　initiative　of　the　individual　and　the　complete　subordination　of　the　State。＇13＇


＇13＇　In　my　book；　〃The　Psychological　Laws　of　the　Evolution　of　Peoples；〃　I　have　insisted　at　length　on　the　differences　which　distinguish　the　Latin　democratic　ideal　from　the　Anglo…Saxon　democratic　ideal。　　Independently；　and　as　the　result　of　his　travels；　M。　Paul　Bourget　has　arrived；　in　his　quite　recent　book；　〃Outre…Mer；〃　at　conclusions　almost　identical　with　mine。



2。　ILLUSIONS


From　the　dawn　of　civilisation　onwards　crowds　have　always　undergone　the　influence　of　illusions。　　It　is　to　the　creators　of　illusions　that　they　have　raised　more　temples；　statues；　and　altars　than　to　any　other　class　of　men。　　Whether　it　be　the　religious　illusions　of　the　past　or　the　philosophic　and　social　illusions　of　the　present；　these　formidable　sovereign　powers　are　always　found　at　the　head　of　all　the　civilisations　that　have　successively　flourished　on　our　planet。　　It　is　in　their　name　that　were　built　the　temples　of　Chaldea　and　Egypt　and　the　religious　edifices　of　the　Middle　Ages；　and　that　a　vast　upheaval　shook　the　whole　of　Europe　a　century　ago；　and　there　is　not　one　of　our　political；　artistic；　or　social　conceptions　that　is　free　from　their　powerful　impress。　　Occasionally；　at　the　cost　of　terrible　disturbances；　man　overthrows　them；　but　he　seems　condemned　to　always　set　them　up　again。　　Without　them　he　would　never　have　emerged　from　his　primitive　barbarian　state；　and　without　them　again　he　would　soon　return　to　it。　　Doubtless　they　are　futile　shadows；　but　these　children　of　our　dreams　have　forced　the　nations　to　create　whatever　the　arts　may　boast　of　splendour　or　civilisation　of　greatness。

〃If　one　destroyed　in　museums　and　libraries；　if　one　hurled　down　on　the　flagstones　before　the　churches　all　the　works　and　all　the　monuments　of　art　that　religions　have　inspired；　what　would　remain　of　the　great　dreams　of　humanity？　　To　give　to　men　that　portion　of　hope　and　illusion　without　which　they　cannot　live；　such　is　the　reason　for　the　existence　of　gods；　heroes；　and　poets。　　During　fifty　years　science　appeared　to　undertake　this　task。　　But　science　has　been　compromised　in　hearts　hungering　after　the　ideal；　because　it　does　not　dare　to　be　lavish　enough　of　promises；　because　it　cannot　lie。〃＇14＇


＇14＇　Daniel　Lesueur。



The　philosophers　of　the　last　century　devoted　themselves　with　fervour　to　the　destruction　of　the　religious；　political；　and　social　illusions　on　which　our　forefathers　had　lived　for　a　long　tale　of　centuries。　　By　destroying　them　they　have　dried　up　the　springs　of　hope　and　resignation。　　Behind　the　immolated　chimeras　they　came　face　to　face　with　the　blind　and　silent　forces　of　nature；　which　are　inexorable　to　weakness　and　ignore　pity。

Notwithstanding　all　its　progress；　philosophy　has　been　unable　as　yet　to　offer　the　masses　any　ideal　that　can　charm　them；　but；　as　they　must　have　their　illusions　at　all　cost；　they　turn　instinctively；　as　the　insect　seeks　the　light；　to　the　rhetoricians　who　accord　them　what　they　want。　　Not　truth；　but　error　has　always　been　the　chief　factor　in　the　evolution　of　nations；　and　the　reason　why　socialism　is　so　powerful　to…day　is　that　it　constitutes　the　last　illusion　that　is　still　vital。　　In　spite　of　all　scientific　demonstrations　it　continues　on　the　increase。　　Its　principal　strength　lies　in　the　fact　that　it　is　championed　by　minds　sufficiently　ignorant　of　things　as　they　are　in　reality　to　venture　boldly　to　promise　mankind　happiness。　　The　social　illusion　reigns　to…day　upon　all　the　heaped…up　ruins　of　the　past；　and　to　it　belongs　the　future。　　The　masses　have　never　thirsted　after　truth。　They　turn　aside　from　evidence　that　is　not　to　their　taste；　preferring　to　deify　error；　if　error　seduce　them。　　Whoever　can　supply　them　with　illusions　is　easily　their　master；　whoever　attempts　to　destroy　their　illusions　is　always　their　victim。


3。　EXPERIENCE


Experience　constitutes　almost　the　only　effective　process　by　which　a　truth　may　be　solidly　established　in　the　mind　of　the　masses；　and　illusions　grown　too　dangerous　be　destroyed。　　To　this　end；　however；　it　is　necessary　that　the　experience　should　take　place　on　a　very　large　scale；　and　be　very　frequently　repeated。　　The　experiences　undergone　by　one　generation　are　useless；　as　a　rule；　for　the　generation　that　follows；　which　is　the　reason　why　historical　facts；　cited　with　a　view　to　demonstration；　serve　no　purpose。　　Their　only　utility　is　to　prove　to　what　an　extent　experiences　need　to　be　repeated　from　age　to　age　to　exert　any　influence；　or　to　be　successful　in　merely　shaking　an　erroneous　opinion　when　it　is　solidly　implanted　in　the　mind　of　the　masses。

Our　century　and　that　which　preceded　it　will　doubtless　be　alluded　to　by　historians　as　an　era　of　curious　experiments；　which　in　no　other　age　have　been　tried　in　such　number。

The　most　gigantic　of　these　experiments　was　the　French　Revolution。　To　find　out　that　a　society　is　not　to　be　refashioned　from　top　to　bottom　in　accordance　with　the　dictates　of　pure　reason；　it　was　necessary　that　several　millions　of　men　should　be　massacred　and　that　Europe　should　be　profoundly　disturbed　for　a　period　of　twenty　years。　　To　prove　to　us　experimentally　that　dictators　cost　the　nations　who　acclaim　them　dear；　two　ruinous　experiences　have　been　required　in　fifty　years；　and　in　spite　of　their　clearness　they　do　not　seem　to　have　been　sufficiently　convincing。　　The　first；　nevertheless；　cost　three　millions　of　men　and　an　invasion；　the　second　involved　a　loss　of　territory；　and　carried　in　its　wake　the　necessity　for　permanent　armies。　　A　third　was　almost　attempted　not　long　since；　and　will　assuredly　be　attempted　one　day。　　To　bring　an　entire　nation　to　admit　that　the　huge　German　army　was　not；　as　was　currently　alleged　thirty　years　ago；　a　sort　of　harmless　national　guard；＇15＇　the　terrible　war　which　cost　us　so　dear　had　to　take　place。　　To　bring　about　the　recognition　that　Protection　ruins　the　nations　who　adopt　it；　at　least　twenty　years　of　disastrous　experience　will　be　needful。　　These　examples　might　be　indefinitely　multiplied。


＇15＇　The　opinion　of　the　crowd　was　formed　in　this　case　by　those　rough…and…ready　associations　of　dissimilar　things；　the　mechanism　of　which　I　have　previously　explained。　　The　French　national　guard　of　that　period；　being　composed　of　peaceable　shopkeepers；　utterly　lacking　in　discipline　and　quite　incapable　of　being　taken　seriously；　whatever　bore　a　similar　name；　evoked　the　same　conception　and　was　considered　in　consequence　as　harmless。　　The　error　of　the　crowd　was　shared　at　the　time　by　its　leaders；　as　happens　so　often　in　connection　with　opinions　dealing　with　generalisations。　　In　a　speech　made　in　the　Chamber　on　the　31st　of　December；　1867；　and　quoted　in　a　book　by　M。　E。　Ollivier　that　has　appeared　recently；　a　statesman　who　often　followed　the　opinion　of　the　crowd　but　was　never　in　advance　of　itI　allude　to　M。　Thiersdeclared　that　Prussia　only　possessed　a　national　guard　analogous　to　that　of　France；　and　in　consequence　without　importance；　in　addition　to　a　regular　army　about　equal　to　the　French　regular　army；　assertions　about　as　accurate　as　the　predictions　of　the　same　statesman　as　to　the　insignificant　future　reserved　for　railways。



4。　REASON


In　enumerating　the　factors　capabl