《乌合之众·第三编·不同群体的分类与描述·所谓犯罪群体》第1节
Owing to the fact that crowds, after a period of excitement, enter upon a purely automatic and unconscious state, in which they are guided by suggestion, it seems difficult to qualify them in any case as criminal. I only retain this erroneous qualification because it has been definitely brought into vogue by recent psychological investigations. Certain acts of crowds are assuredly criminal, if considered merely in themselves, but criminal in that case in the same way as the act of a tiger devouring a Hindoo, after allowing its young to maul him for their amusement. The usual motive of the crimes of crowds is a powerful suggestion, and the individuals who take part in such crimes are afterwards convinced that they have acted in obedience to duty, which is far from being the case with the ordinary criminal. The history of the crimes committed by crowds illustrates what precedes. The murder of M. de Launay, the governor of the Bastille, may be cited as a typical example. After the taking of the fortress the governor, surrounded by a very excited crowd, was dealt blows from every direction. It was proposed to hang him, to cut off his head, to tie him to a horse's tail. While struggling, he accidently kicked one of those present. Some one proposed, and his suggestion was at once received with acclamation by the crowd, that the individual who had been kicked should cut the governor's throat.
注释摘要
勒庞在这一段里提出一个相当大胆的命题，他试图从根本上动摇我们对于“犯罪群体”这一法律范畴的习惯理解。他的核心论证建立在他反复强调的群体心理机制之上：一旦个体汇入群体，经过最初的情绪亢奋之后，便会进入一种纯粹的、自动化的无意识状态，此时群体的行为完全由暗示所引导。在这种心理状态下，勒庞认为我们很难从心理学意义上将这些行为判定为犯罪。他明确承认“犯罪群体”这个…