Alexis de Tocqueville – Democracy in America
-equality of condition among the people in the New World
-comparision to France in its feudal times (and at the turn of the century)
-when land began to be held in other (than feudal) ways, every improvement in economy and/or society created new elements of equality among people (for eg. art, literature)
-every single great event in human history leads to bigger equality
-every revolution brings people together (for eg. The French Revolution; the nobles go down the social ladder, the commoners go up – finally they meet)
-the gradual development of the principle of the equality is a fact cause all men contribute to its progress
-democracy comes from the will of god
-The New World is a chance for the new democracy (purified)
-european democracy is bent, it needs to be fixed
-democracy should go along with the change of laws, customs and so on
-,,Men are not corrupted by the exercise of power or debased by the habit of obedience, but by the exercise of a power which they believe to be illegitimate, and by obedience to which they consider to be usurped and oppressive’’
-in order to profit from the advantages of the state, it is necessary to satisfy its requirements
-once every person realizes that:
1)he needs to unite with others
2)he would only receive help if he himself helps other people
3)his personal interest is the interest of whole community
will the majoraty of citizens enjoy a greater prosperity
-as nobles and commoners come nearer to each other, the hatred for the authority arises
-liberty cannot be established without morality
-to sum up: european democracy is bent, it needs to be changed; democracy in the New World on the other hand is purified and a better version of The Old World democracy
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