New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-09-06
THE PEOPLE AS CHAOS.
A FRENCH SAVANT'S ANALYSIS OF COLI
LECTIVE MANKIND.

Gustave lo Bon. octave. PIP xiv, 30. New-York:
The Macmillan Company.
When Carlyle uttered his famous characterize
ton Of the mass IS. he in his mpusive and
scientific way. would seem to have anticipated
the ordered conclusions Of the most modern
psychology Here is a professor NJ Gustave
lie Bon. who would be the first to deny that
he held any such opinion the pessimistic
English historian. the first to deny that for him
II would be possible to describe the population
of France say, many millions. mostly
fools But in the long run. ne confirms the cyn-
cal idea IT. that the crowd" which he tacitly
presents as synonymous with the masses. Is
nothing more to him than brute beast. lower.
If anything. than the objects OF Carlyle's acid
epigram. The Crowd" Is an interesting and
depressing book too interesting to be ignored and
too humiliatng to be enjoyed The authors con-
viction seems to be that whether heroic or bes-
tial the crowd is equally irresponsible for It's
deeds; it is fairly comparable to the larks fas-
Grated by a sportsman's mirror Probably NJ.
lie Bon would be astounded at his having con
veyed this IMPRESSION He is in love with
his theme and persuaded Of the beauty OF
truth that he never realizes the dscouraging
outcome Of his studies. 1t is as though
geon were to grow enthusiastic ever the discov
cry Of an incurable disease
Briefly stated. the philosophy Of this latest
contribution to the criminoogy series assumes
that any body OF men making common cause
some crucial epoch or moment sacrifices indi-
vidual thought initiative and character to one
psychological wave which sweeps over the mass.
and carries 1t. IA a mass. to states or actions
which the individual would never desire in an
Isolated condition. In Other words, a gathering
Of voters once subjected to the spell Of an ora
tor whether he be preaching anarchy or saliva
tion is moved to support him or to tear him TO
pieces not merely because they belong to this
party that sect. not because they have rea-
soned out their approval or disapprova but
because they are hypnotized by one another the
moment they foregather. strange sort Of
magnetism takes possession Of each man. and.
hanging in a state of incertitude. he is prepared
to move In any direction which the strongest
will in the assemblage finally dictates
phrase. a gesture will then turn the tide.
number OF men have become a crowd. they
think and act not men. but as parts OF
new whole In new world They are no longer
men They are particles OF a mass. members OF
a crowd. The drift OF this hypothesis is plain
enough. 1t takes away individuality. It denies
the persistence Of discriminative powers 1t
takes for granted that the faculty OF selection
Of judgment. which seems to US to be an es-
sential prerogative Of man In his normal state
is really an accidental gift confined to a few
persons. and even with them subject to disin-
tegration and anaihlation the moment they as
ISOLATE themselves with their fellows
This Is an inference from NJ. lie Bon's argu-
ment to which he cannot refuse recognition, In
asmuch as he takes pains to point out the way
in which entrance into a crowd. no matter how
small that crowd may be. invalidates the natural
calibre of the individual. He does this with
especial force In n chapter on criminal juries.
According to this land NJ. lie Bon brings for
ward statistical Information to prove his case.
the criminal fury In France at least VIII come