1. THE IDEAS OF CROWDS.


Fundamental and accessory ideas--

How contradictory ideas may exist simultaneously--The

transformation that must be undergone by lofty ideas before they

are accessible to crowds-- The social influence of ideas is

independent of the degree of truth they may contain. 2. THE

REASONING POWER OF CROWDS. Crowds are not to be influenced by

reasoning--The reasoning of crowds is always of a very inferior

order--There is only the appearance of analogy or succession in

the ideas they associate. 3. THE IMAGINATION OF CROWDS.

Strength of the imagination of crowds--Crowds think in images,

and these images succeed each other without any connecting

link--Crowds are especially impressed by the marvellous--Legends

and the marvellous are the real pillars of civilisation--The

popular imagination has always been the basis of the power of

statesmen--The manner in which facts capable of striking the

imagination of crowds present themselves for observation.



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