The last of Tocqueville (for now)

 Religion

"When a people's religion is destroyed, doubt invades the highest faculties of the mind and half paralyzes all the rest. ...Opinions are ill-defended or abandoned, and in despair of solving unaided the greatest problems of human destiny, men ignobly give up thinking about them." (444)

In the Chapter "How Religion in the United States makes use of Democratic Instincts", Tocqueville goes on a tangent about how religion is vital to society.  In the historical context in which this was written, it may make sense.  But I believe that this notion is extremely outdated and as an atheist, I have to disagree with Tocqueville's opinion that religion is a necessary part of society.

If Alexis de Tocqueville and I were to have a discussion about religion, it would quickly turn into a heated debate. 


Equality & Individualism

"Equality puts men side by side without a common link to hold them firm.  Despotism raises barriers to keep them apart.  It disposes them not to think of their fellow and turns indifference into a sort of public virtue." (510)

Tocqueville talks about individualism and equality again with aristocracy as a "measuring stick" for democracy.   He touts liberty as the cure for despotism.  the patriotism Americans feel is again the "municipal spirit" that allows the democracy to function.  He also talks about voluntary associations/political associations as a way to drive people out of indifference (is also contrasted with the aristocracy, because people are separated by class there is no need to unite them).  He concludes taht the more people that have equality, the less power that an individual has.


Political Society

"The idea of rights inherent in certain individuals is rapidly disappearing from men's minds; the idea of the omnipotence and sole authority of society at large is coming to fill its place.  These ideas take root and spread as conditions become more equal and men more alike; equality brings them to birth, and they in turn hasten the progress of equality." - (669)
(in reference to the opinion of many Europeans)

Because men become more and more similar, they grow to hate those with even the slightest amount of more privilege than them.  Here, Tocqueville talks about the frustrations of organizing people who are all equals, and getting them to listen to one another. 


As we our time with Democracy in America comes to a close, I find that I now have more questions than answers about the nature of Democracy.  The funny thing is, I believe that is what Tocqueville wanted from his audience.  Merely, he wanted his readers to take what he presented, and keep running with it.  So, in a sense even though I believe this text to be very outdated, I am able to take these ideas and expanded them on my own in accordance with my own views on democracy.