Gustav LeBon: Biography

Gustav Lebon, whose books are still of great interest to psychologists, sociologists, historians, etc., is considered the creator of social psychology. It was he who was able to describe as precisely as possible the behavior of the crowd and the reasons for the blind submission of the masses to dictators. Despite the fact that most of the work was written by him in the 19th century, the 20th century was influenced by the results of his research. The most important direction in which Gustav Lebon worked was psychology.

Education

Gustav LeBon was born in the town of Nogent-le-Rotrou, in France, in a noble family. Despite the loud title, the Lebon family lived very modestly, without luxury.

After graduating from the classical school, Gustav entered the University of Paris at the Medical Faculty. His further education was due to the frequent movement between European, Asian and African educational institutions. Already during his studies at the university, Lebon began to publish his articles, which were positively perceived by readers and aroused interest in the scientific community.

Contribution to the development of medicine

Lebon did not practice medical practice, although his contribution to the development of medicine is very high, but he was carried out mainly through scientific publications. For example, based on his research work, in the sixties of the nineteenth century, he wrote an article about the diseases that people have in the damp terrain.

Hobbies and first attempts to understand the reasons for a particular behavior of people in different situations

In addition to medicine, Lebon enjoyed studying anthropology, archeology and sociology with pleasure. For some time he worked as a military doctor at the front. The goal was to get an opportunity to observe and explore how people behave in critical conditions. In the early 1870s, interest in psychology was awakened in him, which determined the further direction of his activity.

The most important works

The main theme, which Gustav Lebon adhered to in his works, is the philosophy of the crowd, its characteristics and motives. The most important and most popular work of Gustav Lebon was the book "Psychology of Peoples and the Masses". Staying at the front and monitoring a large number of people provided the necessary basis for conclusions, and in the pages of this publication he was able to tell how the motives of a particular person's behavior are determined, and on the basis of these data he tried to explain the causes of a number of historical events. In the future, the "Psychology of the Crowd" was written, which won no less recognition, and then - "The Psychology of Socialism."

Influence on the course of history

Carrying out all these studies and clearly articulating in the pages of his books the conclusion after the conclusion, Lebon did not suspect that his writings would form the basis of the theory of leadership of the fascists. However, sadly, a kind of educational tool for Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini became "Psychology of the crowd." Gustav LeBon certainly did not expect to have such a significant impact on the course of history. Many of his conclusions were confirmed very accurately, because the above dictators largely achieved their goals.

Unconscious instincts at the head of the crowd

Being actually the father of social psychology, Lebon first attempted to explain the onset of the period in the existence of mankind, when precisely the masses acquire particular importance. He believed that being in a crowd leads to the fact that a person's intellectual abilities, sense of responsibility and criticality towards the situation decrease. Instead, reins of government are taken by unconscious instincts, which are responsible for the complex but sometimes primitive behavior of large numbers of people.

Lebon believed that the least manageable peoples of countries in which the largest number of Métis was concentrated. For such states, a very strong ruler is needed, otherwise there will be no excitement and anarchy.

Interesting conclusions were drawn about how mass religions were inculcated. According to Lebon, when a particular religion was planted, the people accepted it, but not completely, but only adding it to their old faith, that is, in effect, changing the name and content, adapting the novelty to the customary creed. So, those religions that "descended" on the masses, underwent many changes in the process of adaptation among people of a particular people.

Gustav LeBon: the crowd and the leader

A person among many others like him, as if descending the stairs of his development, easily abandons his principles, conclusions that drive him usually when he is outside the crowd. He is prone to rampage, excessive activity, which manifests itself as a predisposition to arbitrariness and aggression, and in the manifestation of unprecedented enthusiasm in achieving the set goals. Often an individual in a crowd comes into conflict with one's own interests and convictions.

In working with the crowd, it is most effective to use simple and clear images that do not carry anything superfluous. Unless they can be backed up by some unusual, striking fact, for example, something of a miraculous or phenomenal.

According to the theory of Lebon, the leaders rarely refer to the number of people thinking, reflecting. Most often they are more inclined to act. Very rarely they see the depth of the problem, because it weakens the will of the leader, leads to doubts and slowness. The leader is often unbalanced and impressionable, almost crazy. His idea, the guidelines can be ridiculous, insane, but it is difficult to stop on the way to achieving the goal. Negative attitude encourages him, the tortures experienced are something that brings real satisfaction to the leader. Their belief in their own ideas, the point of view is so firm and unshakable that the power with which they affect the minds of others is increased hundredfold. The masses of people tend to listen to just such a person who manages to preserve their will, strength and aspiration. People who are in the crowd, most often they do not have, so unconsciously they are drawn to a stronger and strong-willed person.

Leaders, according to the theory of Lebon, are categorical and resolute in the manifestation of power. Thanks to this determination, as well as comprehensive uncompromising, they manage to make even the most obstinate and disobedient people execute their will, even if this is contrary to the true interests of man. Leaders make changes in the existing order of affairs, forcing the majority to agree with their decisions and obey them.

Whatever the crowd was, it wants to be subordinate. It is alien to the manifestation of power, it is too weak for this, that is why it submits completely to the resolute leader, rejoicing at the possibility of being in a position of obedience.

Education and erudition rarely keep pace with the qualities of a real leader, but if they exist, they will most likely bring disaster to their owner. Being intelligent, a person inevitably becomes softer, because he has the opportunity to look deep into the situation, understand those or other sides of people subordinate to him and involuntarily weaken grip, shake his power. That is why most of the leaders at all times, as Gustav Lebon believed, were very narrow-minded people, moreover, the more limited the person, the more his influence on the crowd.

This was the viewpoint of Gustav Lebon. It is these thoughts that formed the basis of two fundamental books, which became textbooks for the most brutal dictators of the twentieth century. Undoubtedly, the scientist himself did not expect that his works will have such admirers and followers.

Gustav LeBon died at the age of 90 in 1931, at his home in the environs of Paris.