The Crowd | Page 3

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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.
THE CROWD A STUDY OF THE POPULAR MIND
BY GUSTAVE LE BON {b. May 7, 1841--d. Dec 13, 1931}

The following work is devoted to an account of the characteristics of crowds.
The whole of the common characteristics with which heredity endows the individuals of
a race constitute the genius of the race. When, however, a certain number of these
individuals are gathered together in a crowd for purposes of action, observation proves
that, from the mere fact of their being assembled, there result certain new psychological
characteristics, which are added to the racial characteristics and differ from them at times
to a very considerable degree.
Organised crowds have always played an important part in the life of peoples, but this
part has never been of such moment as at present. The substitution of the unconscious

action of crowds for the conscious activity of individuals is one of the principal
characteristics of the present age.
I have endeavoured to examine the difficult problem presented by crowds in a purely
scientific manner--that is, by making an effort to proceed with method, and without being
influenced by opinions, theories, and doctrines. This, I believe, is the only mode of
arriving at the discovery of some few particles of truth, especially when dealing, as is the
case here, with a question that is the subject of impassioned controversy. A man of
science bent on verifying a phenomenon is not called upon to concern himself with the
interests his verifications may hurt. In a recent publication an eminent thinker, M. Goblet
d'Alviela, made the remark that, belonging to none of the contemporary schools, I am
occasionally found in opposition of sundry of the conclusions of all of them. I hope this
new work will merit a similar observation. To belong to a school is necessarily to espouse
its prejudices and preconceived opinions.
Still I should explain to the reader why he will find me draw conclusions from my
investigations which it might be thought at first sight they do not bear; why, for instance,
after noting the extreme mental inferiority of crowds, picked assemblies included, I yet
affirm it would be dangerous to meddle with their organisation, notwithstanding this
inferiority.
The reason is, that the most attentive observation of the facts of history has invariably
demonstrated to me that social organisms being every whit as complicated as those of all
beings, it is in no wise in our power to force them to undergo on a sudden far-reaching
transformations. Nature has recourse at times to radical measures, but never after our
fashion, which explains how it is that nothing is more fatal to a people than the mania for
great reforms, however excellent these reforms may appear theoretically. They would
only be useful were it possible to 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 of ourselves. Institutions and laws are the
outward manifestation of our character, the expression of its needs. Being its outcome,
institutions and laws cannot change this character.
The study of social phenomena cannot be separated from that of the peoples among
whom they have come into existence. From the philosophic point of view these
phenomena may have an absolute value; in practice they have only a relative value.
It is necessary, in consequence, when studying a social phenomenon, to consider it
successively under two very different aspects. It will then be seen that the teachings of
pure reason are very often contrary to those of practical reason. There are scarcely any
data, even