Alexis de Tocqueville is remembered as a masterpiece of political thought on “Democracy in America.” Tocqueville argues that democracy is a comprehensive way of life and not merely a self-government system. In the article, the author describes the impacts of democracy on human practical and theoretical behaviors. The article comprises many distinct and interesting insights about America, its laws, regime, and habit. Besides, Tocqueville explores how democratic equality enhances the danger of developing selfishness or individualism whereby people tend to pursue personal gains rather than delivering into the community. Hence, this paper analyzes how too much love of equality can be a problem from the Tocqueville perspective.
Tocqueville recognizes certain advantages to pursuing equality. The author demonstrates how people’s sovereignty, a feature of a society in which everyone has an equal amount of power due to the ability to vote, may breed patriotism. Furthermore, the author contends that valuing equality promotes peace and prevents revolutions because the possibility of social mobility encourages people to work toward gradual improvements in their lives rather than fighting to overthrow the government (134). Besides, Tocqueville states that one aspect that undermines democracy is racial differences between blacks and white citizens.
On the other hand, Tocqueville believes that equality does not always imply that democracy is more fair or free. Tocqueville believes that when traditional class hierarchies are removed and no intellectual or social differentiation exists between individuals, there is no apparent solution to who one should listen to or agree with. Instead, all thoughts and ideas are given equal weight, and the perspectives that win are those shared by the greatest number of people rather than those shared by the wealthiest, most powerful, or most intelligent—all of which Tocqueville likes to conflate. Tocqueville is concerned that this may lead people to stop thinking for themselves, preventing real moral and intellectual grandeur from emerging.
One aspect that Tocqueville explores is the Tyranny of the Majority. The Tyranny of the majority is a challenge that arises when the masses rule in the electorate system, pursuing their objectives exclusively at the expense of the minority group. Typically, in a democratic system, this form of oppression involves the majority using their powers to shape the public in their interest, undermining the benefits of the minority. According to the author (134), when the American revolution broke out, Tocqueville views that democracy relies on the intellectual independence of specific individuals. When everyone has one vote, the majority decides everything, and no one can view it as wrong. However, the author concludes that other opinions opposing the majority decision are bad or biased, which means there is a restriction on people’s autonomy.
Additionally, other challenges associated with democracy anticipated in the article are the rapid growth of central power triggered by individualistic attitudes resulting in unequal development of different sectors. However, Tocqueville applauds how aristocratic governance has intermediaries that restrict total power, protecting human liberty and dignity. American democracy does not have intermediary institutions that control opinions, interests, and prejudices. On the contrary, the Tyranny of minorities has impacted the way the state government and US laws are developed (135). When people suffer injustice in America, they have to appeal to different bodies controlled by the majority. For instance, the legislative body is fundamentally loyal to the majority. Also, the executive power serves as a puppet for the majority, whereas the police are another subjects of the Tyranny of the majority.
Furthermore, Tocqueville admits that democracy is a condition that should enhance equality. Hence, the local government should provide more opportunities for the people to control public matters (150). Also, the author demand that the government should create a parallel organization that can help note the visible needs and interest of citizens that may be otherwise unknown to the general public.
On the contrary, the author suggests that democracy promotes the aspect of individualism. Distinctly individualism is a key characteristic of modern society since it holds that every person or individual is fundamentally alone in the world. In the current generation, Americans view individuals working in contrast with liberty. However, Tocqueville believes that individualism is among the most dangerous and negative aspects ion American democracy. In a way, Tocqueville views the world as citizens are competing for their benefits rather than societal goals.
Tocqueville states that individualism leads to a materialistic society by affecting political and social bonds. In contrast to the French aristocratic culture, it is evident that most Americans rely on themselves alone, and people view self-dependent as a virtue. On the other hand, the aristocratic French culture promotes teamwork and collaboration where people depend on each other (150). However, Tocqueville argues that true virtue involves relying on other people because it establishes ethical bonds that can expand to a position whereby citizens can consider their fellow compatriots. Besides, the author criticizes that Americans tend to b]value their family social toes over citizenship; hence democracy is characterized by numerous challenges. According to Tocqueville individualism is linked to materialism or accumulation of public wealth. Hence, in this perspective, America can be viewed as having an unstable democracy because people are driven by the greed of accumulating money or wealth for their gains. Even when Americans are provided equal opportunities, those who work hard to gain wealth are advantageous. Therefore, individualism is an inevitable impact of democracy.
Besides, Tocqueville argues that democracy brings an idea of self-despotism within a country. Soft despotism refers to a situation whereby a small network of complicated rules a country. Self-despotism is an illusion that makes the citizens think they are real, while they have minimal influence on how the government operates (172-173). Distinctly, the American government shapes members of the society to think they are in control. It uses small networks, rules, and uniforms where the most brilliant minds and powerful characters cannot pass to reach the crowd. Besides, the will of man is bent, softened, and not shattered. The will of the citizens is not shattered, but the power compresses, extinguishes, and enervates individuals to a point they are viewed as a flock controlled by the government.
Democratic government is controlled by greedy people who are stuck between two opinions. One is that they want to lead the government as well as they want to remain free. Since they cannot destroy any of their demands, democracy gives an approach where they can satisfy their personal needs (190). They formulate a powerful independent government made by the people. Further, they combine the principle of popular sovereignty and a strong centralized government that gives comfort. However, the author suggests that the problem of despotism can be curbed through free democracy where individuals largely associate with each other.
Equality in a nation ensures that men have equal rights, although they will not have an equal opportunity to participate in government activities. The freedom of association and speech allows people to express their opinions. This allows the people to have the love and passion for equality among all other people in the nation (220). Some things push people to prefer freedom. The advantages of political freedom and liberty allow the people to perform their democratic rights. The people, through their rights, allow for the formation of associations that create a voice for the people (221). However, there are risks of equality with the lack of freedom.
When there is equality, and the people do not have the freedom to meet and participate in different activities, it promotes individualism in democratic nations. Despotism is promoted since everyone fights for their own needs, prevents the development of the associations, and, therefore, has no common ground for fighting for the nation (226). Equality allows people to be connected, while despotism creates barriers for people not to share information. Despotism is evident in democratic nations, and therefore, the love for equality becomes riskier. The people in the democratic nations are forced to meet, hence deterring their opinion (226). This prevents the public from governing the nation, making people feel less democratic.
In a free government, people have the freedom to elect and therefore allow for equality among the community. The political status and decisions of a nation influence the status of a country, and therefore, it is essential to ensure public participation to allow the people to make the choices themselves. However, it is not easy since rich people are responsible for the decisions in a country (228). During the fight for equality, the rich fight for revolution, and although they are good people, they keep the other people in the community around them and make decisions on what they should do.
Tocqueville also discusses the political associations in the United States that constitute Americans of all ages, different conditions, and also dispositions hence encompasses the associations of everyone. Through the associations, churches, inns, entertainment is built, and involvement in missionary practices. Therefore, the associations are profitable to America. The democratic associations also visit prisons, hospitals, and schools (231). However, In America, the associations are only a means of acting and do not have a powerful effect on the matters of the nation. However, in aristocratic communities, the associations do not have much power. Also, the associations are headed by rich people. In democratic nations, the people have to join and learn, or less, they will be powerless (231). This raises the need to fight for equality for people. Every nation requires to allow its citizens to have an opinion on the nation’s choices. Tocqueville advocates for governments to include associations in the country’s issues, such as oppression of the marginalized and lack of circulation of information. It helps ensure that there is equality among the people in the society (233).
Alex De Tocqueville was religious and believed in inequality. However, the love of equality can become a problem for Tocqueville. Every government provides democracy to the citizens to ensure the citizens have the freedom of decision-making and receive services equally (234). Through traveling, Tocqueville explores the United States and collects information on democracy in the United States. Unity is important, but when men are not united, there is a lower possibility of maintaining cooperation which will require persuasion to ensure that all the people are cooperative to ensure that all the decisions made are in the best interest of everyone (234). Although Tocqueville observes that equality is essential in the leadership of a group or a country, if there is no cooperation among the group of people, then there is no love and no equity in the services since everyone is serving their interests.
However, the concept of equality is sensitized in a community using modes of communication such as newspapers. The newspaper helps to give a common idea to a thousand readers at once. It helps to spread information about love and equality (235). The newspapers help maintain civilization and prevent individualism. Newspapers give citizens their democratic rights as they unite and create a voice on the political, social, and economic issues affecting them. However, there is a risk of creating evil through the newspapers as there will also be citizens who present their evil schemes, which can affect the other good that other people are fighting for. Tocqueville, however, states that “The evil which they produce is therefore much less than that which they cure.” (235)
When aristocratic citizens acquire information, they create awareness and get a multitude to support their common interests, which helps differentiate the group from other people. However, in democratic countries, citizens who wish to form a multitude cannot do that since they are insignificant among the other population, and therefore locating one another is difficult. This is one of the problems that arise in love for equity. The newspapers unite insignificant people and help create a voice for them since they share their common thoughts after meeting. However, the newspapers are still important since it helps keep the scattered people connected and help create communication between a group of people even without meeting. A democratic association, therefore, requires a common ground, a newspaper, to ensure equality. The democratic association may compose rich, poor citizens, and therefore, through the newspaper, equality is formed and helps create constant communication among the people.
The public associations and newspapers, therefore, impact equality. Newspapers and public associations are interdependent since each one helps advance the other. For example, when newspapers are used to spread information in the right way, they help increase the number of people in the association, ensuring equality (236). Like newspapers, periodicals and press help in ensure practicing the democratic rights of people. The associations of people help administer the affairs that are communicated and use the newspapers to create awareness among the people. The associations have powers to exercise the rights of men through communicating their needs and advocating for equality and love in society (236). However, in aristocratic nations, the principal members have the local powers to make choices for the larger population hence preventing equality since the decisions are based on a smaller population than the democratic nations that allow the largest numbers to make the decisions.
There are modern relations to the love of equity in a country. For example, the freedom of electing the leaders of a nation is a democratic activity of the citizens of a nation. Also, the distribution of resources among the community Is essential since it helps ensure equality among everyone regardless of their disparities. However, although democracy is a critical issue, some nations adopt other modes such as aristocratic and dictatorial that limit the citizens’ freedom to participate in the country’s activities, such as elections. Therefore, through Tocqueville’s research, it is important to fight for equity, and although there are problems associated with equality, it should be adopted in every country. Therefore, the love for equality is a current issue in the governing of nations. Equity allows men to appreciate the other and ensure their activities positively affect the other person.
Work Cited
Tocqueville, Alexis D. Democracy in America. McGraw-Hill Humanities, Social Sciences & World Languages, 1981.
