《乌合之众·第一编·群体的心理·群体的情感与道德》第26节
If, then, crowds often abandon themselves to low instincts, they also set the example at times of acts of lofty morality. If disinterestedness, resignation, and absolute devotion to a real or chimerical ideal are moral virtues, it may be said that crowds often possess these virtues to a degree rarely attained by the wisest philosophers. Doubtless they practice them unconsciously, but that is of small import. We should not complain too much that crowds are more especially guided by unconscious considerations and are not given to reasoning. Had they, in certain cases, reasoned and consulted their immediate interests, it is possible that no civilisation would have grown up on our planet and humanity would have had no history.
注释摘要
勒庞在这段收束性的文字里试图完成一个辩证的翻转：群体当然可能沉溺于最低等的本能，犯下纵火、屠杀之类的罪行，但同样也能展现出孤立的个人几乎无法企及的道德高度——无私、忘我、为一个真实或虚幻的理想毫无保留地献出生命。他援引的历史例证，是十字军东征和1793年法国大革命的志愿军，这些在他看来都属于集体才能做到的伟大献身。他的论证要点其实落在最后那句看似突兀的话上…