the crowd-第9部分

快捷操作: 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! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！

e　the　matter　it　would　be　necessary　that　they　should　be　able　to　transform　themselves　into　a　crowd。＇6＇


＇6＇　It　is　understandable　for　this　reason　why　it　sometimes　happens　that　pieces　refused　by　all　theatrical　managers　obtain　a　prodigious　success　when　by　a　stroke　of　chance　they　are　put　on　the　stage。　　The　recent　success　of　Francois　Coppee's　play　〃Pour　la　Couronne〃　is　well　known；　and　yet；　in　spite　of　the　name　of　its　author；　it　was　refused　during　ten　years　by　the　managers　of　the　principal　Parisian　theatres。

〃Charley's　Aunt；〃　refused　at　every　theatre；　and　finally　staged　at　the　expense　of　a　stockbroker；　has　had　two　hundred　representations　in　France；　and　more　than　a　thousand　in　London。　　Without　the　explanation　given　above　of　the　impossibility　for　theatrical　managers　to　mentally　substitute　themselves　for　a　crowd；　such　mistakes　in　judgment　on　the　part　of　competent　individuals；　who　are　most　interested　not　to　commit　such　grave　blunders；　would　be　inexplicable。　　This　is　a　subject　that　I　cannot　deal　with　here；　but　it　might　worthily　tempt　the　pen　of　a　writer　acquainted　with　theatrical　matters；　and　at　the　same　time　a　subtle　psychologistof　such　a　writer；　for　instance；　as　M。　Francisque　Sarcey。



Here；　once　more；　were　we　able　to　embark　on　more　extensive　explanations；　we　should　show　the　preponderating　influence　of　racial　considerations。　　A　play　which　provokes　the　enthusiasm　of　the　crowd　in　one　country　has　sometimes　no　success　in　another；　or　has　only　a　partial　and　conventional　success；　because　it　does　not　put　in　operation　influences　capable　of　working　on　an　altered　public。

I　need　not　add　that　the　tendency　to　exaggeration　in　crowds　is　only　present　in　the　case　of　sentiments　and　not　at　all　in　the　matter　of　intelligence。　　I　have　already　shown　that；　by　the　mere　fact　that　an　individual　forms　part　of　a　crowd；　his　intellectual　standard　is　immediately　and　considerably　lowered。　　A　learned　magistrate；　M。　Tarde；　has　also　verified　this　fact　in　his　researches　on　the　crimes　of　crowds。　　It　is　only；　then；　with　respect　to　sentiment　that　crowds　can　rise　to　a　very　high　or；　on　the　contrary；　descend　to　a　very　low　level。


4。　THE　INTOLERANCE；　DICTATORIALNESS　AND　CONSERVATISM　OF　CROWDS。


Crowds　are　only　cognisant　of　simple　and　extreme　sentiments；　the　opinions；　ideas；　and　beliefs　suggested　to　them　are　accepted　or　rejected　as　a　whole；　and　considered　as　absolute　truths　or　as　not　less　absolute　errors。　　This　is　always　the　case　with　beliefs　induced　by　a　process　of　suggestion　instead　of　engendered　by　reasoning。　　Every　one　is　aware　of　the　intolerance　that　accompanies　religious　beliefs；　and　of　the　despotic　empire　they　exercise　on　men's　minds。

Being　in　doubt　as　to　what　constitutes　truth　or　error；　and　having；　on　the　other　hand；　a　clear　notion　of　its　strength；　a　crowd　is　as　disposed　to　give　authoritative　effect　to　its　inspirations　as　it　is　intolerant。　　An　individual　may　accept　contradiction　and　discussion；　a　crowd　will　never　do　so。　　At　public　meetings　the　slightest　contradiction　on　the　part　of　an　orator　is　immediately　received　with　howls　of　fury　and　violent　invective；　soon　followed　by　blows；　and　expulsion　should　the　orator　stick　to　his　point。　Without　the　restraining　presence　of　the　representatives　of　authority　the　contradictor；　indeed；　would　often　be　done　to　death。

Dictatorialness　and　intolerance　are　common　to　all　categories　of　crowds；　but　they　are　met　with　in　a　varying　degree　of　intensity。　Here；　once　more；　reappears　that　fundamental　notion　of　race　which　dominates　all　the　feelings　and　all　the　thoughts　of　men。　　It　is　more　especially　in　Latin　crowds　that　authoritativeness　and　intolerance　are　found　developed　in　the　highest　measure。　　In　fact；　their　development　is　such　in　crowds　of　Latin　origin　that　they　have　entirely　destroyed　that　sentiment　of　the　independence　of　the　individual　so　powerful　in　the　Anglo…Saxon。　　Latin　crowds　are　only　concerned　with　the　collective　independence　of　the　sect　to　which　they　belong；　and　the　characteristic　feature　of　their　conception　of　independence　is　the　need　they　experience　of　bringing　those　who　are　in　disagreement　with　themselves　into　immediate　and　violent　subjection　to　their　beliefs。　　Among　the　Latin　races　the　Jacobins　of　every　epoch；　from　those　of　the　Inquisition　downwards；　have　never　been　able　to　attain　to　a　different　conception　of　liberty。

Authoritativeness　and　intolerance　are　sentiments　of　which　crowds　have　a　very　clear　notion；　which　they　easily　conceive　and　which　they　entertain　as　readily　as　they　put　them　in　practice　when　once　they　are　imposed　upon　them。　　Crowds　exhibit　a　docile　respect　for　force；　and　are　but　slightly　impressed　by　kindness；　which　for　them　is　scarcely　other　than　a　form　of　weakness。　　Their　sympathies　have　never　been　bestowed　on　easy…going　masters；　but　on　tyrants　who　vigorously　oppressed　them。　　It　is　to　these　latter　that　they　always　erect　the　loftiest　statues。　　It　is　true　that　they　willingly　trample　on　the　despot　whom　they　have　stripped　of　his　power；　but　it　is　because；　having　lost　his　strength；　he　has　resumed　his　place　among　the　feeble；　who　are　to　be　despised　because　they　are　not　to　be　feared。　　The　type　of　hero　dear　to　crowds　will　always　have　the　semblance　of　a　Caesar。　　His　insignia　attracts　them；　his　authority　overawes　them；　and　his　sword　instils　them　with　fear。

A　crowd　is　always　ready　to　revolt　against　a　feeble；　and　to　bow　down　servilely　before　a　strong　authority。　　Should　the　strength　of　an　authority　be　intermittent；　the　crowd；　always　obedient　to　its　extreme　sentiments；　passes　alternately　from　anarchy　to　servitude；　and　from　servitude　to　anarchy。

However；　to　believe　in　the　predominance　among　crowds　of　revolutionary　instincts　would　be　to　entirely　misconstrue　their　psychology。　　It　is　merely　their　tendency　to　violence　that　deceives　us　on　this　point。　　Their　rebellious　and　destructive　outbursts　are　always　very　transitory。　　Crowds　are　too　much　governed　by　unconscious　considerations；　and　too　much　subject　in　consequence　to　secular　hereditary　influences　not　to　be　extremely　conservative。　　Abandoned　to　themselves；　they　soon　weary　of　disorder；　and　instinctively　turn　to　servitude。　　It　was　the　proudest　and　most　untractable　of　the　Jacobins　who　acclaimed　Bonaparte　with　greatest　energy　when　he　suppressed　all　liberty　and　made　his　hand　of　iron　severely　felt。

It　is　difficult　to　understand　history；　and　popular　revolutions　in　particular；　if　one　does　not　take　sufficiently　into　account　the　profoundly　conservative　instincts　of　crowds。　　They　may　be　desirous；　it　is　true；　of　changing　the　names　of　their　institutions；　and　to　obtain　these　changes　they　accomplish　at　times　even　violent　revolutions；　but　the　essence　of　these　institutions　is　too　much　the　expression　of　the　hereditary　needs　of　the　race　for　them　not　invariably　to　abide　by　it。　　Their　incessant　mobility　only　exerts　its　influence　on　quite　superficial　matters。　　In　fact　they　possess　conservative　instincts　as　indestructible　as　those　of　all　primitive　beings。　　Their　fetish…　like　respect　for　all　traditions　is　absolute；　their　unconscious　horror　of　all　novelty　capable　of　changing　the　essential　conditions　of　their　existence　is　very　deeply　rooted。　　Had　democracies　possessed　the　power　they　wield　to…day　at　the　time　of　the　invention　of　mechanical　looms　or　of　the　introduction　of　steam…power　and　of　railways；　the　realisation　of　these　inventions　would　have　been　impossible；　or　would　have　been　achieved　at　the　cost　of　revolutions　and　repeated　massacres。　　It　is　fortunate　for　the　progress　of　civilisation　that　the　power　of　crowds　only　began　to　exist　when　the　great　discoveries　of　science　and　industry　had　already　been　effected。


5。　THE　MORALITY　OF　CROWDS。


Taking　the　word　〃morality〃　to　mean　constant　respect　for　certain　social　conventions；　and　the　permanent　repression　of　selfish　impulses；　it　is　quite　evident　that　crowds　are　too　impulsive　and　too　mobile　to　be　moral。　　If；　however；　we　include　in　the　term　morality　the　transitory　display　of　certain　qualities　such　as　abnegation；　self…sacrifice；　disinterestedness；　devotion；　and　the　need　of　equity；　we　may　say；　on　the　contrary；　that　crowds　may　exhibit　at　times　a　very　lofty　morality。

The　few　psychologists　who　have　studied　crowds　have　only　considered　them　from　the　point　of　view　of　their　criminal　acts；　and　noticing　how　frequent　these　acts　are；　they　have　come　to　the　conclusion　that　the　moral　standard　of　crowds　is　very　low。

Doubtless　this　is　often　the　case；　but　why？　　Simply　because　our　savage；　destructive　instincts　are　the　inheritance　left　dormant　in　all　of　us　from　the　primitive　ages。　　In　the　life　of　the　isolated　individual　it　would　be　dangerous　for　him　to　gratify　these　instincts；　while　his　absorption　in　an　irresponsible　crowd；　in　which　in　consequence　he　is　assured　of　impunity；　gives　him　entire　liberty　to　follow　them。　　Being　unable；　in　the　ordinary　course　of　events；　to　exercise　these　destructive　instincts　on　our　fellow…　men；　we　confine　ourselves　to　exercising　them　on　animals。　　The　passion；　so　widespread；　for　the　chase　and　the　acts　of　ferocity　of　crowds　proceed　from　one　and　the　same　source。　　A　crowd　which　slowly　slaughters　a　defenceless　victim　displays　a　very　cowardly　ferocity；　but　for　the　philosopher　this　ferocity　is　very　closely　related　to　that　of　the　huntsmen　who　gather　in　dozens　for　the　pleasure　of　taking　part　in　the　pursuit　and　killing　of　a　luckless　stag　by　t