from an attempt to discuss "crowd-psychology", we shall content ourselves with considering the comparatively "tangible" elements - individual and group judgments and opinions.

Es

We shall notice that of these two kinds of raw material of public opinion in its ultimate form, group opinion is far more valuable. Miss Follett is on the right track when she advocates the creation of community centers and similar group organizations in which, through discussion, a real integration, not mere harmonization of opinions, can take place. pecially does her suggestion assume a greater significance when, as we shall find in the following chapter, we take into account the fact that in the crystalization of public opinion it is not integration of group or individual opinions that is aimed at or that takes place, but an artificial harmonization subtly done by clever phraseology and skillful demagogy. Her paramount concern, consequently, is to make articulate, to make count, the ideas and ideals of the individual, who at present is a deaf and dumb partner in a "democracy". That, to be sure, is the ideal of democracy but it is a distant ideal, a receding goal, which men can never actually attain or reach.

1

Having thus far ascertained the raw materials of public opinion, we shall briefly take notice of what is popularly known as "crowd psychology" especially as discussed from different assumptions by Le Bon and Martin, then proceed in the

1. Miss Follett's intentions are good. She has the problem of present-day democracy nicely diagnosed. For a discussion of the efficacy of her proposed remedy, see Chapter IV.

next chapter to consider the process of turning these raw materials into that finished product which we call public

opinion.

II.

They

Le Bon and his school have concentrated their attention 1 to the phenomenon now known as crowd-psychology point out that "when a certain number ... of 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 2 at time to a very considerable degree".

A crowd-mind characterized by unity of direction, emerges, it is argued, and this unity is the result of the individual's acquiring a sentiment of invincible power based upon numerical considerations which serves to encourage him to an unrestrained yielding to his sentiments and instincts; to imitation and suggestion; and to hypnotic suggestions which cause the individual to become slave to unconscious activities.

The resulting characteristics of the crowd according to LeBon, consequently, is a general intellectual inferiority, loss of moral responsibility, impulsiveness, credulity, blind obedience to leadership and emotionalism.

3

Le Bon wrote in 1896 and his theory had been generally accepted by other crowd psychologists until the publication of Graham Wallas' "The Great Society" and Everett D. Martin's "The Behavior of Crowds". Martin's work is both a refutation of the main part of LeBon's theory and an elaboration of what

1. See the writings of Gustave LeBon, Martin Conway and W. Trotter. 2. LeBon. The Crowd, p.5.

3. A comprehensive summary of LeBon's theory is found in Martin, The Behavior of Crowds, pp.47-48.