MC 111 Lecture Notes - Lecture 9: French Revolution, Alexis De Tocqueville, Individualism
13 Dec 2016
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Examining democracy in United State:
• Was written 200 years ago. He is not an American but French citizen. He was an
aristocrat by birth and a democrat by conviction.
• Had a political career, become the French foreign affairs minister.
• As soon as the book was published, it was one of those rare books about insights of
democracy.
• Tocqueville was sent to America to study prison system, but he discovered more than
this during his 9-month stay
• The American revolution occurred in 1779 and the French revolution in 1789.
• America was the first country to make the transition to democracy.
• The first big theme of the book is meaning of equality;
- The thing that struck him the most was how everything was equal.
- His argument is that democracy influences family relationships. The family in a
democracy is based on individual freedom, not on the authority of the father and
husband.
• The second theme is the spread of democracy;
- He predicts that the democratic revolution will continue to spread. More and more
countries will become democracies and democratic countries will become more and
more equal internally.
• The third theme is America and France.
- Most of the introduction is about France and French politics. They both had their
democracy periods around the same time.
- Whenever Tocqueville says France, think Iraq.
• The fourth them is problems of democracy
- Tyranny of Majority- the person who gives the view is attacked instead of the
opinion itself
- Individualism- unreasonable demands to the government by the people
- Despotism –
• The fifth theme is democracy in America
- ….Olie.
On the origins of the Anglo- Aericas ad it’s iportat for their future
• the origin of American democracy
- American democracy began with the founding of the new England colonies by the
pilgrims in 1620.
- 1620 or 1776. Two different views of what democracy is.
- The declaration of independence describes the origin of democracy in universal
terms (1776).
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Document Summary
Examining democracy in united state: was written 200 years ago. He is not an american but french citizen. The thing that struck him the most was how everything was equal. His argument is that democracy influences family relationships. The family in a democracy is based on individual freedom, not on the authority of the father and husband: the second theme is the spread of democracy; He predicts that the democratic revolution will continue to spread. More and more countries will become democracies and democratic countries will become more and more equal internally: the third theme is america and france. Most of the introduction is about france and french politics. They both had their democracy periods around the same time. Whenever tocqueville says france, think iraq: the fourth them is problems of democracy. Tyranny of majority- the person who gives the view is attacked instead of the opinion itself. Individualism- unreasonable demands to the government by the people.
