De Tocqueville on Democracy and Power (American History to 1865)

• Jul, 01 2025

Tocqueville argues that democratic individualism—by dissolving all “secondary powers” (family, church, guilds, local privileges)—leaves only the state as the sole authority, concentrating power in its hands and isolating citizens into a “lonely crowd” susceptible both to anarchic rebellion and to totalitarian control. As ties between persons weaken, individuals resent any privilege, demand uniformity, and empower the central government to enforce equality—even at the cost of freedom and familial or religious autonomy. He foresees state takeover of education, industry, and private life, risking perpetual infantilization of citizens, yet he insists democracy’s spirit of independence and mobility, aided by printing and free discussion, can equip each generation to safeguard liberty. Ultimately, Tocqueville urges us not to resurrect aristocracy but to guide democracy toward freedom rather than servitude by nurturing those intermediary loyalties and moral restraints it tends to erode.

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