21.11.24
POL I Lecture notes – Alexis de Tocqueville – Democracy in America (1835 & 1840)
• In the 1800s there were no democracies in the ancient sense in the world – the
people did not have “the same access to the magistracies and offices of state as
the nobles” (Adam Smith). De Tocqueville is in part responding to this in his
discussion of America.
• De Tocqueville wrote ‘Democracy in America’, credited as ‘the first philosophical
book ever written on Democracy, as it manifests itself in modern society’. Not
just an abstract theory of what democracy is or should be, but rather
observations of how it functions in reality – its strengths, weaknesses, flaws.
• The ancient meaning of democracy was rule by the people – self-rule, direct rule
with no representation. The idea that a state could be more or less democratic or
differently democratic to another is a new idea introduced by de Tocqueville,
who wants to look at democracy comparatively without dismissing states just
because they do not fully satisfy the ideal type.
• De Tocqueville is interested in the monarchical roots of modern democracy – he
comes from an aristocratic context (France), and wants to examine how this
differs to America, who have a greater distance from monarchical backgrounds
due to their geographical location. From his vantage point, their distance frames
everything, making America an experimental station.
• He asks these kinds of questions:
o Can America be considered as a modern experiment in democracy?
o What does democracy need to thrive?
o How does democracy manifest itself?
o What do we learn that is specific to America? That is transportable?
▪ What might this mean for the future of France?
• He travels to the US, Canada, Algeria, the UK – he is interested in both
democracy and colonialism, is an advocate for Algerian colonisation
o This is cited by some as a representation of the paradox within European
politics at this time – passion for liberty and equality simultaneously to
advocacy for colonialism, nativism, racism, patriarchy
o Is democracy fundamentally entangled with these forms of exclusion and
hierarchy?
o De Tocqueville was actively aware of this paradox, explored it – he
believed these contradictions underpinned democracy, but could also
threaten it
• De Tocqueville was a French aristocrat, cosmopolitan with English wife and
friends in the Anglo-American world yet also strong nationalist, argued against
slave trade yet supported colonisation. Many contradictions.
POL I Lecture notes – Alexis de Tocqueville – Democracy in America (1835 & 1840)
• In the 1800s there were no democracies in the ancient sense in the world – the
people did not have “the same access to the magistracies and offices of state as
the nobles” (Adam Smith). De Tocqueville is in part responding to this in his
discussion of America.
• De Tocqueville wrote ‘Democracy in America’, credited as ‘the first philosophical
book ever written on Democracy, as it manifests itself in modern society’. Not
just an abstract theory of what democracy is or should be, but rather
observations of how it functions in reality – its strengths, weaknesses, flaws.
• The ancient meaning of democracy was rule by the people – self-rule, direct rule
with no representation. The idea that a state could be more or less democratic or
differently democratic to another is a new idea introduced by de Tocqueville,
who wants to look at democracy comparatively without dismissing states just
because they do not fully satisfy the ideal type.
• De Tocqueville is interested in the monarchical roots of modern democracy – he
comes from an aristocratic context (France), and wants to examine how this
differs to America, who have a greater distance from monarchical backgrounds
due to their geographical location. From his vantage point, their distance frames
everything, making America an experimental station.
• He asks these kinds of questions:
o Can America be considered as a modern experiment in democracy?
o What does democracy need to thrive?
o How does democracy manifest itself?
o What do we learn that is specific to America? That is transportable?
▪ What might this mean for the future of France?
• He travels to the US, Canada, Algeria, the UK – he is interested in both
democracy and colonialism, is an advocate for Algerian colonisation
o This is cited by some as a representation of the paradox within European
politics at this time – passion for liberty and equality simultaneously to
advocacy for colonialism, nativism, racism, patriarchy
o Is democracy fundamentally entangled with these forms of exclusion and
hierarchy?
o De Tocqueville was actively aware of this paradox, explored it – he
believed these contradictions underpinned democracy, but could also
threaten it
• De Tocqueville was a French aristocrat, cosmopolitan with English wife and
friends in the Anglo-American world yet also strong nationalist, argued against
slave trade yet supported colonisation. Many contradictions.
