The Psychology of Socialism by Gustave Le Bon

Author:Gustave Le Bon [Bon, Gustave Le]
Language: eng
Format: epub, pdf
Tags: Psychology, Communism; Post-Communism & Socialism, History & Theory, Political Ideologies, Political Science, Politics, General
ISBN: 9781412838610
Google: 2SA0AQAAMAAJ
Goodreads: 9313553
Publisher: Nabu Press
Published: 1899-01-15T12:56:31+00:00

3. The Collectivist State

We have just been considering the progress of State Socialism and its consequences. It remains to me to show how little divides us from complete Collectivism, as dreamed of by the high priests of the doctrine.

The dangers of Collectivism have not escaped the eyes of such statesmen as have been endowed with a certain perspicacity; but they do not appear to have seen very clearly that we have long ago entered into the Collectivist phase. Ensuing are the remarks on this subject of one of the most distinguished of them, M. Bourdeau, sometime president of the Chamber of Deputies:—

"The danger to be feared is not that Collectivism is triumphing, establishing itself, modelling society to its liking. The danger is that it continues to insinuate itself into the popular mind, and into our institutions; to throw scorn on capital and its use, and on the institutions derived from it (banks and so forth); on private initiative, which is incessantly vilified, to the profit of State monopolies; on thrift, on personal property, on inheritance, on salaries proportioned to the merits and utility of the returns offered; on the means which to-day serve to elevate the lowest, or at least their descendants, to the highest positions; on the support given to society by the millions of initative efforts excited by personal interest.

"The result of all this is enormously to increase the rôle of the State; to make it responsible for railroads, mines, and banks, and perhaps for navigation, assurance, and stores; to crush large or medium fortunes and inheritances by duties, together with all that stimulates man to invention, or to adventurous and long-sustained enterprises; all that makes him a creature of foresight, considerate of future generations; all that makes him a worker for posterity; to disgust the worker with difficult tasks, with economy, with the hope of success; in short, to reduce the individual to mediocrity of desires, ambitions, energy, and talent, under the guardianship of an all-absorbing State; to replace, more and more, the man animated by personal interest, by a quasi-official."

The conclusions of this statesman are patent to every mind a little familiar with the economic and psychologic necessities which rule a people. He has clearly perceived that the latent triumph of Socialism is still more assured and still more dangerous than its nominal triumph.

The society of the future, dreamed of by the Collectivists, has for some time been gradually realising itself among the Latin nations. State Socialism is, in fact, as I have shown, the necessary conclusion of the past of these nations, the final step towards the decadence which no civilisation has as yet been able to avoid. For centuries subjected systematically to hierarchies, brought to a dead level by a university education and a system of examinations which run all into one mould; greedy of equality, but little eager for liberty; accustomed to every kind of administrative tyranny, military, religious, or moral; having lost all initiative, all power of will; gradually habituated to have

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