Gustave le Bon was an eminent psychologist and
sociologist. In Psychology of Crowds, he explores theories of
national traits and behaviour as opposed to the behaviour of
individuals.
The ideas Le Bon explores in Psychology of Crowds are extremely
relevant to to-day's society and were of pivotal importance in the
early years of group psychology: Sigmund Freud's Massenpsychologie
und Ich-Analyse (1921; English translation Group Psychology and the
Analysis of the Ego, 1922) was based on Le Bon's work.
Gustave Le Bon was born in Nogent-le-Rotrou on 7th May, 1841. He
died in Marnes-la-Coquette on 13th December 1931.
Note to the Sparkling Books edition
La Psychologie des foules was first published in 1895 and
translated anonymously into English, possibly by a group of
students. A revised French edition, edited by Flix Alcan, was
published in 1905 as Psychologie des foules by Ancienne Libraire
Germer Baillire & Cie. We have corrected some grammar errors and
anomalies in the original translation by reference to the Alcan
edition. We have shortened a few passages but maintained the
original footnotes with some additional footnotes of our own. We
have also used the full title Psychology of Crowds rather than the
abbreviation The Crowd used in earlier versions.
The Editors.
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