As “Democracy in America” revealed, Tocqueville believed that equality was the great political and social idea of his era , and he thought that the United States offered the most advanced example of equality in action.
What did Tocqueville say was the greatest danger to American democracy?
Democracy in America by Alexis de Tocqueville is universally regarded as one of the most influential books ever written about America. ... The greatest danger Tocqueville saw was that public opinion would become an all-powerful force , and that the majority could tyrannize unpopular minorities and marginal individuals.
What did Tocqueville say was the key to democracy?
He thought that a vibrant religious life was essential to the preservation and prosperity of a free democratic society. Tocqueville thought that religion (and he was favorable to almost any kind of religion) was essential to democracy for many reasons.
What did Alexis de Tocqueville observe?
He observed that voluntary giving , which in Europe was accomplished through religious charity and State support, took the form of mutual assistance in America. Americans banded together to build hospitals, prisons, churches and schools.
How does de Tocqueville define democracy?
Tocqueville identifies democracy (which he also calls equality) as the central feature of modern society . The concept has the same central role in his thought as “capitalism” does in Marx’s.
What did de Tocqueville warn?
Tocqueville warned that modern democracy may be adept at inventing new forms of tyranny because radical equality could lead to the materialism of an expanding bourgeoisie and to the selfishness of individualism.
Why is freedom of religion important in a democracy?
Freedom of worship—of belief and nonbelief—is an important element of democracy, contributing to social peace, encouraging full political participation , and strengthening pluralism more broadly.
What did Tocqueville mean by in America I saw more than America?
“I confess,” he wrote, “that in America I saw more than America; I sought the image of democracy itself, with its inclinations, its character, its prejudices, and its passions, in order to learn what we have to fear or hope from its progress.” This feature examines Tocqueville’s argument that the “great democratic ...
What did de Tocqueville criticized the US for?
De Tocqueville leveled some of his sharpest criticism against American political leaders themselves . He became convinced that outstanding men avoided elected office in order to pursue their private ambitions and careers. Those who did seek public office, he believed, were often poorly educated and open to corruption.
Who said tyranny of the majority?
While the specific phrase “tyranny of the majority” is frequently attributed to various Founding Fathers, only John Adams is known to have used it, arguing against government by a single unicameral elected body.
What did Tocqueville say about religion in America?
“In the United States,” Tocqueville observes, “religion” exercises a beneficial “empire over intelligence.” Almost all Americans believe in or at least respect Christianity, with the result that “everything is certain and fixed in the moral world.” Therefore, in America, “ the human spirit never perceives an unlimited ...
What is Alexis de Tocqueville best known for?
Alexis de Tocqueville, (born July 29, 1805, Paris, France—died April 16, 1859, Cannes), political scientist, historian, and politician, best known for Democracy in America, 4 vol. (1835–40) , a perceptive analysis of the political and social system of the United States in the early 19th century.
What examples of voluntary associations did de Tocqueville observe in our democracy?
Tocqueville notes that Americans form associations for many different purposes. He states that “ Americans group together to hold fêtes, found seminaries, build inns, construct churches, distribute books, dispatch missionaries to the antipodes . They establish hospitals, prisons, schools by the same method.
What are the principles of American democracy?
- individual rights to life, liberty, property, and the pursuit of happiness.
- the public or common good.
- justice.
- equality of opportunity.
- diversity.
- truth.
- patriotism.
What did Tocqueville mean by liberty?
Mutual liberty is an idea first developed by Alexis de Tocqueville in his 1835 work Democracy in America. ... Unlike positive and negative liberty, mutual liberty encompasses all citizens. It makes no distinction between political preference and social status.
How does Alexis de Tocqueville define individualism?
The French aristocratic political philosopher Alexis de Tocqueville (1805–59) described individualism in terms of a kind of moderate selfishness that disposed humans to be concerned only with their own small circle of family and friends .
