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Alexis de Tocqueville is best known for his development of political theories addressing equality in the social order and the way that revolutions were imminent in states where the masses were controlled by the aristocracy. The French political thinker had observed the benefits associated with equality being present in a community and linked this concept to the French Revolution in an attempt to demonstrate that the general public is inclined to discourage instances involving the upper classes attempting to exploit less privileged individuals.
"Democracy in America" and "The Old Regime and the Revolution" perfectly exemplify Tocqueville's rationale, as they both concentrate on the idea of developed nations promoting equality and thus influencing the masses to express disproval toward traditional political systems. To a certain degree, the two texts can be considered an essential step in the development of democracy during recent centuries. Tocqueville provided society with the opportunity to gain a more complex understanding of why aristocracy was no longer sustainable in environments where individuals are more supportive with regard to equality. The French political thinker was inspired to write "Democracy in America" consequent to visiting the country and learning more...
By relating to Puritans in America and to how women were treated there, Tocqueville provided readers with the opportunity to observe factors that are probable to improve living conditions for the masses in a certain community. By addressing the idea of aristocracy in particular, he intended to prove how women are more likely to be seen as equals in a society where aristocracy no longer has an influence over the masses. The fact that aristocracy is strongly connected with the idea of patriarchy made it difficult for many women living in such communities to be able to express themselves freely, as they were largely discriminated by men and perceived as having a lower status.
One of the most intriguing things about Tocqueville is that he was born in a family that was particularly supportive of the old regime. It was during his stay at the College Royal in Metz that Tocqueville started to express doubt with regard to the effectiveness of the old regime. His interest in philosophy enabled him to have a more general understanding of the social order -- including the fact that the upper classes were responsible for maintaining an unjust system.
Tocqueville's principal set of ideas revolve around the concept of the inevitable fall of…
Works cited:
"Biography of Alexis de Tocqueville." Retrieved September 27, 2015, from http://www.gradesaver.com/author/alexis-tocqueville/
Plato vs. De Tocqueville -- The ideal vs. The real vision of the democratic character and the democratic state Both the Greek philosopher Plato and French traveler Alexis de Tocqueville approached different 'lived' versions of contemporary democracy as outsiders looking in. Plato (using the persona and voice of the deceased teacher Socrates) critiqued ancient Greek democracy with the aim of putting in that democracy's stead an idealized version of a republic,
POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY Introduction to Political Philosophy: Reflection EssayPolitical philosophy is important for interpreting how divisions of political power work for the public good, how rights and duties are fulfilled, and how freedom comes in the course of either subjugating or subduing the citizens. The policies formulated following the Constitution are either for the personal interests of those in power or for the public interest, which is still under debate by
inegalitarian systems in society. The writer explores how they operate and argues that they damage not only the ruled but the ruler. The writer uses several angles to argue this point and illustrate the ways the ruler is negatively impacted by having such a society under him or her. There were eight sources used to complete this paper. Throughout history societies have struggled to discover the most palatable way to
The American and French Revolutions occurred within decades of each other, influenced by similar changes taking place in European society. Concepts of freedom and liberty therefore evolved concurrently within these two societies, in part due to the vibrant interchange of ideas and philosophies. French philosopher Alexis de Tocqueville epitomized the bilateral ideological communications that flowed between France and the United States. In a general sense, French and American concepts of
America was a wonderful experiment in freedom and democracy which had never before been attempted by any nation. Nations either tried to give power to the people in order to prevent monarchies from rising to despotic power, or they allowed monarchs, despots and other sole figure heads to rise to power. In the case of allowing the people to rule, Europe and European's had learned many times that unbridled power
Some of America's oldest cities had been newly infused with evangelical faith, and most primitive frontier areas were filled with tent revivals. From a more liberal perspective, Unitarianism had taken root in New England universities. ("Toqueville and Religion," (http://xroads.virginia.edu/~HYPER/DETOC/religion/intro.html) This strain of American religious thought stressed the connections between self and nature, even to the entire exclusion of a religious doctrine, dogma, and community, almost to the breaking point.