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Myrdal and De Tocqueville
Gunner Myrdal was an outsider peeking into American society around the 1940s, when segregation in the South was law and "separate but equal" status was conferred upon African-Americans. As an economist, Myrdal focused on the long-term impacts of slavery on the socio-economic conditions of the South, in both black and white communities. While his conclusions point out the disparaging and devastating effects of slavery on the African-American population, Myrdal's suggestions for minimizing the black population in America are radical and astounding. His book An American Dilemma: The Negro Problem and Modern Democracy, impacted the American legal system, as the author indicated how the American creed and constitution were not being "lived up to." Myrdal was referring to clauses in the Constitution regarding equality for all persons: Myrdal witnessed the failure of this ideal. Alexis de Tocqueville penned his work Democracy in America...
In the chapter section entitled, "Situation Of The Black Population In The United States, And Dangers With Which Its Presence Threatens The Whites," De Tocqueville notes that "the destiny of the negroes is in some measure interwoven with that of the Europeans." He cites slavery as an "evil" and a "calamity" that goes against Christian ideals. His view is therefore similar to that of Myrdal, who criticizes the secular government more so than Christianity but who nevertheless notes that the African-American community, and by extension the white community in America, suffers greatly as a result of slavery. Moreover, both authors attest that, as de Tocqueville states, "You may set the negro free, but you cannot make him otherwise than an alien to the European."
Both Myrdal and de Tocqueville therefore acknowledge that slavery has left so deep a…
Democracy in America: Analysis Of Government Actions In Recent Times Tocqueville visited the United States back in 1800s and it was then that he wrote his masterpiece, Democracy in America. This book contains details of what the philosopher witnessed during this trip. His views and thoughts were then collected to form a theory of politics and art in connection with democracy and presented them in this book. Tocqueville thus is considered one
America's constitution allowed for freedom of religion, which made religion centrally important in the lives of Americans in a way that it was often not given the state-enforced place of religion in Europe. Religions were diverse and thus a divisive force between citizens. American's 'dream of home ownership' and America's status as 'the most religious nation on earth,' underlines the importance of property and home ownership and the vital,
Instead, our morals and civilization simply mask the truth, that the true nature of the world is darkness, and evil. Conrad wrote the Heart of Darkness when Europeans were engrossed with Imperialism. Interestingly, the character of Kurtz goes mad when his light goes out. The light is symbolic of the civilized side of human nature in society. In contrast, the dark represents the savage or uncivilized side of our society
“Where Do We Go From Here?” Democracy was meant to be government by the rule of the people. Athens is most famous for being the ancient city-state to represent democratic government and in a way the city-state was best situated for democracy: the people were educated and keen on performing their civic duty—at least for a generation or two. By the time the playwright Aristophanes came along, some Athenians were shirking
Although De Tocqueville incorrectly stereotypes Americans as being inordinately serious in Book 3, Chapter 15, he pinpoints the essence of the typical American: "Americans, who almost always preserve a staid demeanor and a frigid air, nevertheless frequently allow themselves to be borne away, far beyond the bounds of reason, by a sudden passion or a hasty opinion and sometimes gravely commit strange absurdities." De Tocqueville calls this "ignorance which
However, in the pursuit of freedom and liberty through democratic government, the citizens of the state should not pursue an unattainable type of social equality. The United States, according to DeTocqueville, stresses equality. This stress on equality distinguishes America from the democracies that existed before it. Absolute equality is impossible to achieve and cannot be legislated. Rather than overly emphasize the majority rule as is commonly done in American