MC 201 Lecture Notes - Lecture 11: Heredity, Soft Despotism, Alexis De Tocqueville
26 Dec 2016
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He wants to focus on equality and its effect on american democracy. Men will be free because they are equal=> what democratic nations strive for. Equality can happen without having all men participate in govt. Freedom is not a distinctive characteristic of democracies. Destroying freedom is harder than destroying equality. Advantages of equality are felt motor immediately: they are felt at all times and are widespread. Political freedoms come with a cost- equality doesn"t. In an absolute monarchy, equality comes before liberty because the king tried to level down his subjects. Individualism= man can draw away from society and into a small group of his own. Individualism is of democratic origin and will grow until conditions become equal. Aristocracy=> chains of citizens from peasant to king: democracy breaks this chain. When democracy is taking root, citizens are more likely to isolate themselves. Democratic revolutions=> foster in a state of equality. Democracy=> persuades men to not have close ties.
