The CRIMINOLOGY SERIES.
1. The Female Offender. By Professor LOMBROSO. Edited, with Introduction, by W. DOUGLAS MORRISON.2. Criminal Sociology. By Professor ENRICO FERRI.3. Juvenile Offender. By W. DOUGLAS MORRISON. —— LONDON: T. FISHER UNWIN.
BY GUSTAVE LE BON {b. May 7, 1841—d. Dec 13, 1931}
The following work is devoted to an account of thecharacteristics of crowds.
The whole of the common characteristics with which heredityendows the individuals of a race constitute the genius of therace. When, however, a certain number of these individuals aregathered together in a crowd for purposes of action, observationproves that, from the mere fact of their being assembled, thereresult certain new psychological characteristics, which are addedto the racial characteristics and differ from them at times to avery considerable degree.
Organised crowds have always played an important part in the lifeof peoples, but this part has never been of such moment as atpresent. The substitution of the unconscious action of crowdsfor the conscious activity of individuals is one of the principalcharacteristics of the present age.
I have endeavoured to examine the difficult problem presented bycrowds in a purely scientific manner—that is, by making aneffort to proceed with method, and without being influenced byopinions, theories, and doctrines. This, I believe, is the onlymode of arriving at the discovery of some few particles of truth,especially when dealing, as is the case here, with a questionthat is the subject of impassioned controversy. A man of sciencebent on verifying a phenomenon is not called upon to concernhimself with the interests his verifications may hurt. In arecent publication an eminent thinker, M. Goblet d'Alviela, madethe remark that, belonging to none of the contemporary schools, Iam occasionally found in opposition of sundry of the conclusionsof all of them. I hope this new work will merit a similarobservation. To belong to a school is necessarily to espouse itsprejudices and preconceived opinions.
Still I should explain to the reader why he will find me drawconclusions from my investigations which it might be thought atfirst sight they do not bear; why, for instance, after noting theextreme mental inferiority of crowds, picked assemblies included,I yet affirm it would be dangerous to meddle with theirorganisation, notwithstanding this inferiority.
The reason is, that the most attentive observation of the factsof history has invariably demonstrated to me that socialorganisms being every whit as complicated as those of all beings,it is in no wise in our power to force them to undergo on asudden far-reaching transformations. Nature has recourse attimes to radical measures, but never after our fashion, whichexplains how it is that nothing is more fatal to a people thanthe mania for great reforms, however excellent these reforms mayappear theoretically. They would only be useful were it possibleto change instantaneously the genius of nations. This power,however, is only possessed by time. Men are ruled by ideas,sentiments, and customs—matters which are of the essence ofourselves. Institutions and laws are the outward manifestationof our character, the expression of its needs. Being itsoutcome, institutions and laws cannot change this character.
The study of social phenomena cannot be separated from that ofthe peoples among whom they have come into existence. From thephilosophic point of view these phenomena may have an absolutevalue; in practice they have o