This paper examines Alexis de Tocqueville’s classic study of American society.
Democracy in America by Alexis de Tocqueville is a classic of world literature. De Tocqueville observed life in America closely and reported what he saw accurately, and with a great deal of intelligence and wit.
De Tocqueville’s introduction to the book gives readers a “roadmap” of what is to follow, and what he hopes to achieve by writing the work. He begins by drawing an extended parallel between the societies of America and France, and stating his belief that there has been a world-wide revolution going on, almost without notice: that everywhere aristocracies are evolving toward the democratic model, because equality, not inequality, is the natural equilibrium of society: “…the gradual progress of equality is something fated.” (P. 12).
But, he says, in France the establishment of a democracy has not been orderly, but more a matter of throwing away the old order haphazardly with no idea of what to put in its place. (P. 15).
“…we have abandoned whatever good things the old order of society could provide but have not profited from what our present state can offer; we have destroyed an aristocratic society, and settling down complacently among the ruins of the old building, we seem to want to stay there like that forever.” (P. 15).
But if France is in turmoil, being comprised of a society that has decimated the aristocracy but not learned how to govern itself as a democracy, there is one country that has achieved the goal: America. De Tocqueville says that the Europeans who colonized America in the beginning of the 17th Century:
The Research paper on Alexis De Tocqueville America France Political
... of Beaumont and Tocqueville in America ended in February of 1832. However the legacy of Tocqueville's book Democracy in America (1835) is a ... has proved to be true. Upon returning to France, Tocqueville and Beaumont continued to travel throughout Europe. In 1835, ... in all democratic societies. Alexis Charles Henri Maurice Clerel de Tocqueville was born July 29, 1805 in Verneuil, France near Paris. ...
“…in some way separated the principle of democracy from all those other principles against which they contended … in … old European societies, and transplanted that principle only on the shores of the New World. It could there grow in freedom and, progressing in conformity with mores, develop peacefully within the law.” (P. 18).
From this point, De Tocqueville begins a detailed description of the physical geography of America, which leads him to a contemplation of the Native American tribes. He finds they have a democratic society largely because of their poverty; because the Native Americans were poor everyone worked hard, they were equal, and the concept of a powerful aristocracy was unknown to them. He describes them as courageous, freedom-loving and proud, and says that the Europeans made little impact on them—how could they, he asks, when they had so little to offer such a highly-developed people. (P. 29).
He expands on the idea of hard work and “starting from scratch” as mainstays of American society.
From the Native tribes, he moves on to discuss “point-of-departure”—the idea that a person’s background, culture, upbringing, etc., all go to shape the kind of person he is. De Tocqueville believes that the same is true of nations, and that because America is such a young country, it is possible to watch it grow and at the same time, understand where it came from. (P. 32).
He devotes the rest of the two-volume work to observation of the new American democracy and the forces that shaped it.
He begins by considering the American “social state,” which he calls “eminently democratic. It has been like that ever since the birth of the colonies but is even more so now.” (P. 51).
According to De Tocqueville, this democracy is based on several things; among them the fact that an American aristocracy never had a chance to develop. He attributes this to the fact that most Americans started from poor backgrounds and succeeded on their own terms (this echoes the point he made about the Native Americans).
The Term Paper on Alexis Tocqueville Democracy Men Despotism
Alexis de Tocqueville Alexis de Tocqueville was born in Paris on July 29 th, 1805. Growing up in Metz, France, the youngest child of Herv Tocqueville and Mlle. De Rosanbo, he showed great intellectual promise from his earliest days. By the age of 16, his academic career was a brilliant one, his schoolwork earning him a special prize and two first prizes. He was an avid reader, reading books hardly ...
He explains that inheritance laws brought about equality, by making each subsequent bequest smaller, so that finally the younger generations found themselves hard at work. (Pp. 51-55).
This is a perceptive argument and is typical of his thinking; he not only recites facts, he also gives his reasoning for the conclusions he reaches.
Having explained why America is essentially democratic, he then touches on politics, and makes one of the most important observations in the book: “Any discussion of the political laws of the united States must always begin with the dogma of the sovereignty of the people.” (P. 58).
He then turns to an examination of government, beginning with the states and then moving to the federal system. He first looks at the township, which is “so well rooted in nature that whenever men assemble it forms itself.” (P. 62).
I believe he sees the township as the cornerstone of American government, because it is small enough for everyone to participate; however, he notes that the township is much more active and vital in New England than in other parts of the country, and in fact even today many Americans think of New Englanders as somehow more ‘political’ than anyone else.
He also examines the U.S. Constitution, the federal judiciary, and the way in which democracy is embodied in the will of the people. (P. 196).
He finishes Volume I with a discussion of race relations among blacks, whites and Native Americans, in which he sees “white predominance,” and the inferior lot of the blacks and Native Americans. (Some of his observations seem to border on racism, but we must remember he was writing in the language of his time.) He shows a great deal of sympathy for blacks and Indians, and clearly understands the impact of white society upon their cultures.
The second volume of the work is devoted to discussions of philosophy and religion as De Tocqueville sees them practiced in the New World; unfortunately this paper is too short to do justice to this book, and I’ll have to conclude here. De Tocqueville found freedom in America, but he also found that it was not always what he expected. Here is the last paragraph of the book, which sums up De Tocqueville’s observations and conclusions:
The Essay on Alexis De Tocquevilles Democracy In America
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 ...
“The nations of our day cannot prevent conditions of equality from spreading in their midst. But it depends upon themselves either equality is to lead to servitude or freedom, knowledge or barbarism, prosperity or wretchedness.” (P. 705).
I doubt I can improve on that.
Reference:
De Tocqueville, Alexis. Democracy in America. Trans. George Lawrence. Ed. J. P. Mayer. Garden City, NY: Doubleday & Company, Inc., 1969.
