The Psychology of Peoples and the Masses - the common Russian name for co-published translations of the books of G. Lebon Psychology of Peoples (Les Lois Psychologiques de l'Évolution des Peuples (1894)) and Psychology of the Masses (La Psychologie des Foules (1895)). The second book continues and supplements the conclusions of the first, but in the original (in French) and in English translations (The Psychology of Peoples and The Crowd: A Study of the Popular Mind), these books are usually published separately, and the Psychology of the Masses is much more popular nowadays and reprinted much more often. In Russian translations, the second book is also known as the Psychology of the crowd .
| Psychology of peoples and masses | |
|---|---|
| Les Lois Psychologiques de l'Évolution des Peuples (1894) + La Psychologie des Foules (1895) | |
| Author | Gustave Lebon |
| Genre | anthropology, ethnography, psychology, public relations technology |
| Original language | |
| Original published | |
| Publisher | Academic project |
| ISBN | 978-5-8291-1283-7 |
The books summarize the author’s conclusions about the psychology of the masses (race) and the psychology of crowds ) made during numerous trips. The first book is devoted to a general description of the psychology of peoples, the second considers the psychology of groups as the most important motive for individual behavior and the causes of historical events.
Many of the provisions of this work are taken as the basis of modern advertising and political technologies.
Content
Basic Provisions of the “Psychology of Peoples and Masses”
Book One, The Psychology of Peoples
- The basis of civilization is the soul of the race, formed by hereditary accumulations. It is just as durable and not subject to change as the anatomical features of the race. The soul of the race represents a community of feelings, interests of beliefs.
- All changes in government institutions, religions do not affect the soul of the race, but the soul of the race affects them.
- Art and culture are not an indicator of the civilization of a people. As a rule, at the head of civilizations are peoples with an underdeveloped, utilitarian culture, but with a strong character and ideals. The strength of civilization is not in technical and cultural achievements, but in character and ideals.
- Values of the Latin peoples - submission to a strong, oppressive power; Anglo-Saxons - a priority of private initiative.
- The natural tendency of the evolution of civilizations is differentiation. The panacea of democracy - the achievement of equality through the upbringing and imposing of one’s culture by higher nations on the lower — is a fallacy. Uncharacteristic of the people, even a higher culture undermines its morality and destroys the values formed by centuries, which makes such a people even lower. In most cases, new beliefs and institutions bring only new names without changing the essence of existing ones.
- In addition to hereditary feelings, dogma ideas influence the history of a people. Dropping into the realm of the unconscious, they have tremendous power. The only enemy of faith is another faith.
- The people owe all their successes only to a handful of the elect who realize the events prepared by centuries.
Book Two, Psychology of the Masses
- In the 19th century, the power of the crowd replaced the power of the elites.
- The main properties of the crowd: anonymity (impunity), infection (dissemination of opinion), suggestibility (the crowd can be forced to see even what is not really), the desire to immediately put their ideas into practice.
- The psychology of the crowd is similar to the psychology of savages, women and children: impulsivity, irritability, inability to think, lack of reasoning and criticism, exaggerated sensitivity.
- The behavior of the crowd is variable, as it responds to impulses.
- There is no doubt in the crowd. She goes to extremes in which any suspicion can turn into undeniable evidence
- The masses respect only power.
- The ideas of the crowd are held only categorically and have no connection.
- The reasoning of the crowd is primitive and based only on associations.
- The crowd is capable of perceiving only images, and the brighter the image, the better the perception. The miraculous and legendary is perceived better than the logical and rational.
- Formulas invested in words save the crowd from the need to think. The formulas are unchanged, but the words in which they are enclosed must correspond to the time. The most terrible things, called harmonious words (brotherhood, equality, democracy), are accepted with reverence.
- The crowd does not go to those who give it evidence, but to those who give it an alluring illusion.
- The crowd needs a leader. The leader is not necessarily smart, as the mind gives rise to doubts. He is active, energetic, fanatical. Only a leader who blindly believes in his idea can infect others with faith. The main quality of a great leader is a persistent, persistent will.
Sources
- Psychologie der Massen. 15. Aufl. - Stuttgart: Kröner, 1982. ISBN 3-520-09915-2 .
- Die gegenwärtige Entwicklung der Welt. - Wien: Steyermühl-Verl., [1930].
- Lebon G. Psychology of peoples and masses .
- Lebon G. Psychology of the masses .