The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1926-05-15
Psychology of Revolution
BY D. KvITKo
SETH ARTICLR.
FascIsm In a PsyohoIooic Carl


ing a black shirt, think only Of the
under-dog Of fascism. Since the
fascistic gentleman" often wears a
silk hat and monocle, why should he
not wear an academic robe as well?
One Of the fascists wearing an acar
demIc robe Is DR.. LIE Bon.
As it behooves a guardian Of the
national SOUL" LIE Bon makes a dis
tinction between the intellect of the
race and the intellect OF the revolu-
tionary crowd. While the intellect of
the race, according to him, is charac-
teristtc OF its consistency, that of the
crowd is known for Its 1ckleness. The
same distinction he draws between
their respective leaders. While the
representatives Of the nation lin nor
NAL tfmes) are of sound judgment,
the leaders Of the revolutionary rab-
bic sink to the crowd level.
To this It may be replied that no
nation adheres to the same policy, for
It is constantly compelled, under the
pressure Of circumstances, to change
It, yet this change is not called tickle
ness. The change Of policy and tao
tics by the revolutionary masses, to
be sure, moves at a more rapid pace,
for the simple reason that revolution
IN itself means rapid and thorough
going change, due to which the revo-
lutionary masses are confronted by
new and often unexpected situations,
to which they must respond quickly
and emphatically.
The doctor accuses the crowd of
being incapable of noticing any but
the external resemblance Of things
but not the internal affinity:
1.-THE mode of reasoning of crowds
resembles that Of the Esquimaux
who, knowing from experience that
Ice, a transparent body, meits in
the mouth, concludes that glass,
also transparent body, should also
melt In the mouth; or that Of the
savage who imagines that by eating
the heart of a courageous foe he
acquires his bravery; or Of the
workman who, having been exploit
cd by one employer Of labor, i'm
medIately concludes that all en-
pIoyens exploit their men," (The
Crowd, by lie 5on).
We doubt whether the characteristic
holds true In the case Of the savage
and the Esquimaux; it may be lie
Bon's own invention, as the collective
SOUL is. But assuming that this is a
true characteristic, how can it be
applied to the worker? 1t would mean
that either all workers would conclude
that employers are ezploiters, (for
the fact is that wage system is ex-
ploitation) and that no sooner a work
man had started working than he
would become class conscious (un-
fortunately this is not the case). But
since it takes time to come to these
conclusions, that means that the work
ers come gradually to the realization
Of 1t and, consequently, there is no
more savage elements in their reason
ing, than In the reasoning of any
human being belonging to the ina
ton. On the contrary, the compari-
son Of lie Bon Is a good illustration
of poor reasoning; for such kind Of
augmentation bufth al duu4euCe VI
minors. but not of thinking people. 1t
IL amusing to see how often the
avowed national" minds, thru whose
hpe the race supposedly speaks. lose
their mental balance when they deal
with revolutionary activity.
According TO the French "psycholo-
gist" everything seems to be real to
the revolutionary masses as in a sleep.
and they believe IN the most In
credible things. The revolutionary
spirit recalls rather a mental state
than doctrine One Of the character
istics of the revolutionist in his in
ability to adapt himself to the estab-
lished order. After order is restored,
the revolutionist is again dissatisfied,
and is ready to attack the rulers.
This characteristic of lie Bon shows
only the revolutionary mass Is not