The Crowd · Chapter
Endnotes explained
The endnotes provide additional commentary and examples illustrating the power of prestige, the irrationality of crowds, the role of leaders, and the influence of institutions.
What happens
The endnotes provide additional commentary and examples illustrating the power of prestige, the irrationality of crowds, the role of leaders, and the influence of institutions. They include anecdotes about Napoleon's treatment of Beugnot, reflections on Ferdinand de Lesseps, critiques of the French judiciary and press, and observations on the tyranny of committees and electoral expenditures.
Themes in this chapter
Leadership and Suggestion
Napoleon's use of prestige and humiliation to dominate Beugnot exemplifies how leaders manipulate followers through suggestion and personal authority.
Irrationality and Credulity
The anecdote about the crowd demanding the execution of Marshal V⸺ shows how crowds are swayed by emotional appeals rather than logic.
Power of Beliefs and Ideas
The discussion of de Lesseps' fall from glory illustrates how public belief shifts with success or failure, independent of objective merit.
Role of the Press
A footnote criticizes the French newspaper press and its influence on public opinion, particularly in shaping perceptions of figures like de Lesseps.
Characters to notice
- Beugnot
Described as tall as a drum-major, he is humiliated by Napoleon but considers the gesture a sign of favour, illustrating the base platitude that prestige can provoke.
- Napoleon
Depicted as a great despot who treats great personages with contempt, using insults and familiar gestures to assert his prestige.
- Ferdinand de Lesseps
Mentioned in the context of his condemnation after the Panama failure, contrasted with his earlier triumph at Suez, highlighting the fickleness of public opinion.
- Robespierre
Referenced in a footnote about committees; he wielded absolute power while speaking in their name but was lost when he separated from them.
- Barras
Cited as declaring that committees decimated the Convention, picking off members at their pleasure.
- M. Thiers
Mentioned as a statesman who followed crowd opinion and made inaccurate predictions about Prussia's military and railways.
Key passages
“Whereupon Beugnot, tall as a drum-major, bows very low, and the little man raising his hand, takes the tall one by the ear, 'an intoxicating sign of favour,' writes Beugnot, 'the familiar gesture of the master who waxes gracious.'”
Beugnot, who is very tall, bows deeply to the short Napoleon, who then pulls his ear—a gesture Beugnot describes as a thrilling mark of favor, typical of a condescending master.
This illustrates how prestige can lead to servile behavior, even when the treatment is demeaning.
“If Ferdinand de Lesseps were a rogue every noble illusion is a crime. Antiquity would have crowned the memory of de Lesseps with an aureole of glory, and would have made him drink from the bowl of nectar in the midst of Olympus, for he has altered the face of the earth and accomplished works which make the creation more perfect.”
If de Lesseps is considered a criminal, then all great aspirations are crimes. In ancient times, he would have been honored as a hero for transforming the world.
This reflects the irrationality of crowd judgment, which condemns failure while glorifying success.
“The reign of crowds is the reign of committees, that is, of the leaders of crowds. A severer despotism cannot be imagined.”
When crowds rule, committees and their leaders hold absolute power, creating a tyranny worse than any individual despot.
This highlights the danger of collective decision-making, where leaders are freed from responsibility.
