The Crowd

by Gustave Le Bon

Overview

The Crowd: A Study of the Popular Mind by French social theorist Gustave Le Bon is a short treatise on the principles of large gatherings of people. The ideas in Le Bon's book were popular at the time of the late 19th century but are no longer in vogue today. The reasons for this are obvious, as LeBon unpretentiously puts to fault all the rhetoric about "democracy," "equality," "fraternity," and "equality" as being mere catchphrases that self-serving demagogues use to control the spirit of the masses. He cites the French Revolution and the demands of Socialism and Communism during his time. Le Bon outlines the way crowds tend to think (in vivid images illogically connected), how they reason (they don't for all practical purposes), how they express exaggerated emotion, how they are very quick to take action without coherent thought and of the general extreme-conservatism and intolerance of crowds. The individual who becomes part of a crowd tends to loose himself, and feels invincible as he is aware of the similarity of mind and purpose of all those surrounding him.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781544261898
Publisher:	CreateSpace Publishing
Publication date:	03/09/2017
Pages:	132
Product dimensions:	5.98(w) x 9.02(h) x 0.28(d)

About the Author

Ronald V. Clarke, Marcus Felson

Table of Contents

	Introduction: The Era of Crowds	ix
Book I	The Mind of Crowds
Chapter I	General Characteristics of Crowds--Psychological Law of Their Mental Unity	1
Chapter II	The Sentiments and Morality of Crowds	10
Chapter III	The Ideas, Reasoning Power, and Imagination of Crowds	29
Chapter IV	A Religious Shape Assumed by All the Convictions of Crowds	38
Book II	The Opinions and Beliefs of Crowds
Chapter I	Remote Factors of the Opinions and Beliefs of Crowds	43
Chapter II	The Immediate Factors of the Opinions of Crowds	60
Chapter III	The Leaders of Crowds and Their Means of Persuasion	72
Chapter IV	Limitations of the Variability of the Beliefs and Opinions of Crowds	89
Book III	The Classification and Description of the Different Kinds of Crowds
Chapter I	The Classification of Crowds	100
Chapter II	Crowds Termed Criminal Crowds	104
Chapter III	Criminal Juries	108
Chapter IV	Electoral Crowds	114
Chapter V	Parliamentary Assemblies	123