Tocqueville was a Frenchman who was interested in America and its democratic design. He spoke of his observations about America in his book, Democracy in America. Tocqueville’s attitudes towards Americans seem to be very appreciative. He saw democracy as a perfect balance between freedom and equality. Yet, while he is appreciative, he is also quite critical of some of the effects of democracy in America. Tocqueville believed that there were some faults with democracy and states them in his book. One of these faults that Tocqueville discusses is the influence that democracy has on America. Democracy gives everyone the chance to have their say in their government. Americans believe that democracy is a great thing. However, Tocqueville discussed the influences that this worship of democracy has created. For instance, Tocqueville states how Americans did not consider philosophy to be important and have no philosophical school of their own. Yet, even without much attention paid to philosophy, Americans all think similarly. This similar philosophy is using the same method of depending on their own understanding and opinion to make decisions. Tocqueville believed that this method is used by Americans because of an aversion they have to accepting things solely because authorities say to and instead they the need to think for themselves. Instead of accepting what the authorities say, Americans believe that nothing is impossible to understand and everything can be explained through using a person’s own judgment about things. This reliance on a person’s judgment also leads to Americans having a distrust of all things supernatural. Tocqueville’s observations here seem to be quite critical and appear to look at American’s reverence for their j... ... middle of paper ... ...here is no need to worry about creating new art or new literature when they can just rely on Europe. This can also be seen as a part of the apathy that is created from individualism. Tocqueville believes this to be another problem with democracy and its influence. Tocqueville seems to like democracy in its ideal form. However, nothing can be perfect and thus America is not a perfect democracy. Tocqueville found numerous problems with democracy and the influence it had on the populace. These problems range from their distrust of dogmatic beliefs to the imperfect equality that is in place in America. He also found the effects of these problems to be quite problematic as well. For instance, individualism, an effect of equality, is very problematic to democracy. Tocqueville enjoys considering America as an experiment in democracy, but does not find it to be faultless.
Alexis De Tocqueville painted a portrait of a flourishing democracy within the text, Democracy in America. Tocqueville proposed that equality was one of the fundamental tenets that aided the success of American democracy. He defined equality of conditions as the end of aristocracy: “the noble has fallen on the social ladder, and the commoner has risen; the one descends, the other climbs. Each half century brings them nearer, and soon they are going to touch” (Democracy in America, book, 6). American democracy flourishes because there is an established equality of conditions for all; American democracy enforced the absence of formal rank and the end of births into positions of power while encouraging forms of power that challenged rank and privilege. However, in his analysis, Alexis De Tocqueville recognized the presence of race based inequality and cautioned that the reinforcement of a racial hierarchy could be detrimental to American democracy. Such observations characterize Tocqueville as insightful and
Alexis de Tocqueville's visit to the United States in the early part of the nineteenth century prompted his work Democracy in America, in which he expressed the ability to make democracy work. Throughout his travels Tocqueville noted that private interest and personal gain motivated the actions of most Americans, which in turn cultivated a strong sense of individualism. Tocqueville believed that this individualism would soon "sap the virtue of public life" (395) and create a despotism of selfishness. This growth of despotism would be created by citizens becoming too individualistic, and therefore not bothering to fulfill their civic duties or exercise their freedom. Tocqueville feared that the political order of America would soon become aimed at the satisfaction of individual needs, rather than the greater good of society. Alexis de Tocqueville viewed participation in public affairs, the growth of associations and newspapers, the principle of self-interest properly understood, and religion as the only means by which American democracy could combat the effects of individualism.
Tocqueville, a foreigner, came to the United States to study American prison reform, but was so disgusted with the way our society was and how our government functioned under Jackson that he changed the focus of his study to an analysis of democracy. He saw democracy by our example as “far from accomplishing all it projects with skill” and that “Democracy does not give people the most skillful government.” Jackson’s example of democracy was horrible.
America is viewed around the world as the land of opportunities, where anyone willing to work hard and help their neighbor is welcomed with open arms. The one thing that many seek out of the United States is the equality and natural rights bestowed upon all in the Bill of Rights. Alexis de Tocqueville, a French diplomat, wrote about the United States and the basic founding principles of its democracy as well as how the people of America utilize their rights to create a better common good for everyone. The communal effort, to Tocqueville, symbolized an equality of conditions that would slowly filter itself into law, creating laws for the betterment of society as a whole and not just the individual. He also believes that the progress of equality
Alexis De Tocqueville is a well-known political philosopher known for his ideas that last far past his lifespan and apply to almost every situation of America’s government as it has progressed. These long-lasting predictions and basic principles of government that De Tocqueville spoke of in his works heavily capture the American government from a perspective that existed at the very introduction of such a government. While some of De Tocqueville’s ideas continue to to exemplify America’s government, not every idea De Tocqueville has had can continue to as the nation goes through it’s sharp, unexpected changes.
While several other countries have democracies, they are very different from the United States. As Tocqueville described, America had fertile soil where roots can grow, broad territory where people can gain land and make a living, no feudal aristocracies, minimal taxes, and few legal restraints. Also the westward expansion gave opportunities to independent farmers, which made democracy work. All these things are not the only reason why a democracy worked, but also what Tocqueville said about the people.
Alexis de Tocqueville discussed how he believed that majority rules in the United States. He writes about how the majority in America has control over the opinions of the masses and how people do not think for themselves. The latter part of that is true. The masses do not form many of their own opinions but these opinions are not given to them, like Tocqueville says, by the majority. These "ready made opinions" (Tocqueville 11) are given to American people by a powerful few. Tocquville's writing does not apply to the US today because several kinds of minorities wield inordinate amounts of power in modern American society.
We will try to debunk a few different perspectives that involve the democracy in the United States. There are many “precursors to modern democratic theory” (3) for example; we all know that the ideology of democracy is a rather an old relic. I would actually like to reference an example that Hudson commonly went over in the introduction of the book. Hudson refers to the Greeks and how they had a well-developed system of successful democratic communities, now the reasons why he brings this up is because we as a democratic society have chosen to emulate the Greek democratic system. Much like us until recent times women and slaves were not allowed to vote only affluent men (3). Hudson also believed that everyone had born natural rights and that all people should have the equal opportunity to be involved in democratic affairs whether it be local or national level. Not only did Hudson agree with this theory, but with many other liberal theorists and they all had two main
When Alexis de Tocqueville traveled to America, he hoped to acquire a better understanding of the principles of democracy that the young country was exhibiting. Tocqueville had noticed his native country France slowly but surely moving towards those democratic standards He saw that over the past 700 years events seemingly beyond anyone’s control had been driving the nation towards that specific form of government. He believed that eventually the rest of France and the rest of the Western World would follow at least the principles of equality shown in the New World. However, he also noted that there were certain impediments slowing down the change to democracy. Tocqueville did not think that democracy was the right form of government for every
Before the French Revolution that occurred during the late 18th century, France was considered one of the most advanced and opulent countries in Europe. It was in the center of the Enlightenment era, a period of time from the 1600s to the 1800s that is considered today as one of the most significant intellectual movements in history by encouraging a new view of life. The age sparked hundreds of important thinkers such as Thomas Hobbes, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, John Locke, Thomas Paine, and Adam Smith. The Enlightenment was the fuel that sparked a worldwide desire to reshape and reconsider the ways that countries were governed. Limited monarchies, direct democracies, limited democracies, and absolute monarchies, among others, were many forms of government that were disputed by these thinkers. Jean-Jacques Rousseau, one the many significant Enlightenment thinkers, believed in a direct democracy, a system in which a country is governed by many, and where no one person has a considerable amount of power. This idea that citizens should receive independence and a voice would later stimulate the French and result in what is now k...
In Democracy in America, Alexis De Tocqueville argues that the women and families in Aristocratic and Democratic societies have substantial distinctive characteristics in terms of livelihood. According to Tocqueville, the state of government affiliated with Americans also defined its people. He issued a negative view of Americans, created by their party affiliation. After examining the influence of a democratic society on the American people, he concluded that “ equality of conditions modifies the relations of citizens among themselves” (558). In understanding the background of a democratic society, it is necessary to emphasize the impact “equality of conditions” has created amongst Americans. However, in terms of an aristocratic society,
Tocqueville argues like the others, that property specifically extreme materialism and individualism have major influence on the nature of political life. Tocqueville bases his argument on two key assumptions, the first that Americans have a philosophy from action as opposed to passivity and thought(Tocqueville, 2). Secondly, that Americans do not have a revolutionary spirit that charges them to the “shake existing belief” of society like Europeans(3). Instead, Americans stick with the status quo as they focus their time on the pursuit of property. These assumptions cause Tocqueville to argue that Americans are “no longer bound together by ideas, but by interests” as their friends are those who relate to them in terms of material goods and
“I have no name, no title” (Shakespeare 4.1.266). With these words, former King Richard II laments his deposition at the hands of Bolingbroke, but his reasoning extends beyond simply his loss of power. In Richard’s world a name means everything, in that it connects an individual to both his ancestors and his descendents. Consequently, when Richard loses his title, he also loses his identity. Likewise, when the aristocracy melts away in the democratic centuries, individuals lose their ties to the past and to the future and become isolated. In Democracy in America, Tocqueville explores the sources and ramifications of this phenomenon, which he calls individualism. However, Tocqueville is not the only thinker to comment on the operations of individualism
Rousseau, Jean-Jacques, and Donald A. Cress. "On Democracy." Basic Political Writings. Indianapolis: Hackett Pub., 1987. 179-80. Print.
De Tocqueville states that: “ The first and liveliest of the passions inspired by equality is, love of that equality itself.” (Reader 321) This is why democratic nations are more concerned with equality than liberty. Because of this love for equality, De Tocqueville argues that there is a new form of oppression that threatens democracies. This type of oppression is one that has never been witnessed before in history, due to the lack of successful democracies until De Tocqueville’s era. According to De Tocqueville, despotism and tyranny don’t accurately describe the situation. He describes it as what could be labeled as “soft despotism”. He adamantly argues that this oppression is one that will go un-noticed until future generations later on, upon recognizing the problem, are powerless to stop it.