De Tocqueville's Departure From France
General Introduction At the time of De Tocqueville’s departure from France and his visit to democratic America in 1831, social and political issues were on the rise in France. In the early 19th century, the methodological approach was developing, along with theories that had the potential to improve political policy, the status of women, and the conditions of labour. In a time of great political turmoil, the French regime had shifted from a monarchy state of power to a dictatorship and again to a monarchial state through a short span of time (Sage, 2010:11-13) This not only lead to political confusion and social conflicts in French society, but also led De Tocqueville to fear that democracy would lead to the deterioration of his valued aristocratic institutions and principles (Zeitlin, 2001:87).
At the same time that France was in a state of political turmoil, America had successfully developed a democratic state in which they could live. The predisposition for a dictatorial regime was not seen in the American revolution as it was in the French, and democracy allowed the country to grow and keep their individual freedom (Zeitlin, 2001:87). However, freedom was not found in all parts of America, …show more content…
as the institution of slavery, particularly in the Southern regions of America, was abundant (Zeitlin, 2001:91), along with oppression of women and Native American persons. Overall, the early 19th century brought about methodology concerning social change, political turmoil in France, and democratic growth.
General Intents and Purposes of the Author
In the famous works Democracy in America, Alexis De Tocqueville attempts to address the success of the democratic state in America in comparison to France, and the dangers observed in democracy in terms of the situation of women and lower class societies. When observing the democratic state of America, De Tocqueville discovered three core attributes of the political regime that set it apart from other countries’ states like France; the right of association, freedom of press, and religion; these factors of American democracy allow for true freedom in America (Elazar, 1999:209). According to Tocqueville (1889), right of association entitles having the freedom to associate with any political party as an individual, the power to establish political movement centers anywhere in the country, and the right for a party to elect a leader to represent their values and views. Freedom of press entitles that the media, (in De Tocqueville’s case newspapers and the printing press) are free to print political views and communicate aspects of the political world to society, contributing to the freedom of information. In Democracy in America, De Tocqueville states that “The press is the chiefest democratic instrument of freedom” (De Toqueville, 1889) meaning that the political freedom in America is primarily mobilized through the press. The final aspect of successful democratic society in America is religion, which both provides a sense of order and satisfies a primordial human need of eternal life (Tishman, 2004). Religion indirectly sets moral rules (rather than outright laws) that the democratic state are unable to set due to the freedom they have imposed on their societies, allowing for the democratics to influence some control without the state becoming aware of its actions (De Tocqueville, 1889). Comparing these themes of freedom to 19th century despotic France, individuals would be prevented from mobilizing political parties or speaking of political views, and the press would not have been allowed to print any political views, for fear of being imprisoned. Overall, De Tocqueville states the factors of the right of association, freedom of the press, and religion allow democratic states like America to be free.
In Democracy in America, De Tocqueville attempts to inform readers of the potential dangers he anticipated in the political context of democracy. Aside from the dangers associated with freedom, such as freedom of (hate) speech, freedom of war, and freedom of political views, De Tocqueville highlights the dangers of the ‘tyranny of the majority’ and the oppression of women, African Americans, and the Native Americans. One of De Tocqueville’s core concepts is the ‘tyranny of the majority,’ which outlines the fact that when the rights of one majority group increases, the rights of other groups in a society diminish (De Tocqueville, 1889). This democratic paradox summarizes that the freedom of one group may oppress the freedom of another, and taking away the basic rights democracy offers society in the first place. Another danger that De Tocqueville observes in the democratic society of America is the oppression of women through egalitarianism. In his travels across America, De Tocqueville observed that there is a sexual division of labour in which women are confined to the home by their husbands, who are in turn free to become involved in political action, conduct business, and earn an income (Turner, 2008:206). De Tocqueville attempts to persuade readers that women are important for both the transmission of cultural values and moral of society from one generation to the other, calming the ‘democratic excess,’ and for the administration of a domestic economy (De Tocqueville, 1889). As important as women may be, the oppression of women through the egalitarian-democratic society imposed heavy burdens on women, such as social subordination, yielding to male authority, expected ignorance, and the independence of men at the expense of women (Turner, 2008: 211). De Toqueville intended on providing insight on the oppression of women in democratic societies.
De Toqueville’s insight on the oppression of the African American and Native American groups in Democracy in America gives insight onto one of the dangers of democratic societies. According to De Tocqueville (1889), three races residing in America are the Anglo-Americans (European descended whites), Native Americans, and the African Americans, where the Negros and the Indians are considered the subordinate races. The two races have nothing in common with the exception of being subject to tyranny, are considered inferior in societal rank, and have been oppressed by the Anglo-Americans (De Tocqueville, 1889). Where the Negros have been oppressed through slavery after being taken from their homeland, sold to those of ‘superior’ status, and/or have been born into slavery, the Natives have had their land ripped out from underneath their feet, forced to live in the margins of society, and have thus lost all way of traditional life (De Tocqueville, 1889). Both of these ‘inferior’ groups have been forced into racial submission, both have been pushed in to isolation, and both have lost dignity and freedom to the majority group in the democratic state (Turner, 2008: 214). Thus, in Democracy in America, Alexis De Tocqueville addresses the success of the democratic state in America in comparison to France, and the dangers observed in democracy in terms of the situation of women and lower class societies.
Questions and Insights
One of the most predominant questions that De Tocqueville asks is whether people or property should govern society, answered by observing the similarities and differences of the European and French democracies.
In this case, people would be a democratic regime and property would be that of an Aristocratic regime. Due to the attempts De Tocqueville made to study America in order to provide guidelines for the French, one can safely assume that De Toqueville believed that the people should govern society. De Tocqueville found that the unique American democracy had none of the social conflicts that France had experienced in their search for democracy, yet still retained a stature of liberty, a societal class equality, and direction of public affairs (Zeitlin,
2001:88-89).
A predominant insight De Tocqueville brought us was the implication of slavery on the African Americans. As mentioned before, De Tocqueville clearly highlights the effects of direct slavery, yet he goes into further insight to reveal that even when slaves are freed of their status, they are still shunned by society due to the fact that slavery was racial (all Negros associated with slavery), that the memory of slavery dishonours the race itself, and the superiority the whites feel over the Negros (Turner, 2008: 213-214). Alexis brought to light the fact that slavery itself was not the issue, but the democratic society’s majority oppressing a minority in social, physical, and emotional ways.
Thesis
Alexis De Tocqueville’s methodology in Democracy in America was to focus on the social equality and inequality, and using the critical approach, created a thesis based on the social equalities and inequalities brought on by democracy. Using his thesis, De Tocqueville has been able to suggest that democracy brings about equality through the freedom factors of right of association, freedom of press, and religion, as explained earlier. However, democracy may also bring about equality through the creation of a tyrannical majority, oppression of societal groups such as the Negros and the Natives by a majority group, and the subordination of women by men, as explained earlier in the text. These core concepts allowed De Tocqueville to define both beneficial and detrimental aspects of American democracy in order to relate it back to his own country.
Contemporary Sociological Issue In the 19th century, Alexis de Tocqueville gave insight to the inequalities of both women and African American slaves, which can be applied to the contemporary issue of the human trafficking of women through both the aspects of female subordination and the oppression of African Americans. Human trafficking consists of the exchange or purchase of a human being for sexual or slavery purposes. These women are generally abducted from their communities or are born into the trade as they are sold by parents or guardians. In relation to the Three Races theory, the women being oppressed in this trade are similar to the African Americans in the 19th century in the fact that their basic freedoms are taken away from them when they are brought into the trade, either by force from their homeland or through birth. Just like the African Americans, the women have lost their dignity and freedom, are forced into submission by their ‘superiors,’ and are required to perform tasks that include manual labour. Another similarity to 19th century slavery is the sexual aspect, as women brought into human trafficking are mainly used for sexual acts, and many Negro women and children were bought for similar purposes or were raped by their ‘superiors’ often (Turner, 2008: 213). In contrast to 19th century slavery, the human trafficking trade involves predominantly young women from many races and ethnicities, whereas only African American people of any gender or age were involved in slavery. Another aspect of human trafficking is the subordination of women, as young women are almost always used in human trafficking; this can be related to De Tocqueville’s work through his theories on the oppression of women through male domination and confinement. According to De Tocqueville (1889), women in the 19th century America were living in an egalitarian society and required by society to submit to male domination through the sexual division of labour. Today, women are forced to submit to (usually) male ‘superiors’ through predominantly sexual acts, and cannot escape from the dominance due to the fact that they depend on the male for basic needs (he is the ‘breadwinner’ in this situation). De Tocqueville’s work also gives insight to the confinement of women in the home due to her role as a domestic labourer. Women involved in human trafficking are forced to remain in the home and perform manual and sexual labour, often being confined to smaller spaces and forced to bear chains until they are completely submissive to the male. The women are confined to the home of her ‘superior’ due to her role as a domestic and sexual labourer. In contrast to De Tocqueville’s work, women involved in human trafficking are imprisoned physically and mentally, whereas women in the 19th century were only considered imprisoned mentally (Turner, 2008:209). Thus, applying De Tocqueville’s theory of the subordination of women shows that human trafficking and the oppression of women are related in male dominance and confinement.
In Conclusion Alexis De Tocqueville analyzes the social equality and inequality of American democratic society, highlighting injustice and suppression of lower class societies, subordination of women, and the dangers of democracy, whilst giving clear insight on the benefits of a democratic state in society. De Tocqueville’s sociological contributions were important not only for the development of democratic policy in society but also to show how individualism hinders the struggle for social equality – where a majority of individuals pursue self-interest without caring about the interests of a society as a whole, oppression is formed and the democratic state becomes tyrannical. De Tocqueville’s work to this day remains a valuable ‘mirror’ in which democratic societies should reflect upon in order to benefit their entire society as a whole.
References
De Tocqueville, Alexis, trans. Frohen, Bruce. (2002 [1889]). Democracy in America. London: Regenery Publishing.
Elazar, Daniel J. (1999). Tocqueville and the cultural basis of American democracy. Ps, Political Science and Politics, 32(2): 207-210. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.subzero.lib.uoguelph.ca/docview/224954818?accountid=1123 Sage, Elizabeth M. (2010). A dubious science; political economy and the social question in 19th century France. Reference and Research Book News, 25(1): 1-170. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.subzero.lib.uoguelph.ca/docview/199730631?accountid=1123 Tishman, Primrose P. (2004). The role of religion in Alexis de Tocqueville’s “Democracy in America”. Retrieved from ProQuest Digital Dissertations (AAT 3152655)
Turner, Jack. (2008). American individualism and structural injustice: Tocqueville, gender, and race. Polity, 40(2): 197-215. doi:10.1057/palgrave.polity.2300088
Zeitlin, Irving M. (2001). Ideology and the development of sociological theory, 7th edition. Upper Saddle River: Prentice-Hall Inc.
At the same time that France was in a state of political turmoil, America had successfully developed a democratic state in which they could live. The predisposition for a dictatorial regime was not seen in the American revolution as it was in the French, and democracy allowed the country to grow and keep their individual freedom (Zeitlin, 2001:87). However, freedom was not found in all parts of America, …show more content…
as the institution of slavery, particularly in the Southern regions of America, was abundant (Zeitlin, 2001:91), along with oppression of women and Native American persons. Overall, the early 19th century brought about methodology concerning social change, political turmoil in France, and democratic growth.
General Intents and Purposes of the Author
In the famous works Democracy in America, Alexis De Tocqueville attempts to address the success of the democratic state in America in comparison to France, and the dangers observed in democracy in terms of the situation of women and lower class societies. When observing the democratic state of America, De Tocqueville discovered three core attributes of the political regime that set it apart from other countries’ states like France; the right of association, freedom of press, and religion; these factors of American democracy allow for true freedom in America (Elazar, 1999:209). According to Tocqueville (1889), right of association entitles having the freedom to associate with any political party as an individual, the power to establish political movement centers anywhere in the country, and the right for a party to elect a leader to represent their values and views. Freedom of press entitles that the media, (in De Tocqueville’s case newspapers and the printing press) are free to print political views and communicate aspects of the political world to society, contributing to the freedom of information. In Democracy in America, De Tocqueville states that “The press is the chiefest democratic instrument of freedom” (De Toqueville, 1889) meaning that the political freedom in America is primarily mobilized through the press. The final aspect of successful democratic society in America is religion, which both provides a sense of order and satisfies a primordial human need of eternal life (Tishman, 2004). Religion indirectly sets moral rules (rather than outright laws) that the democratic state are unable to set due to the freedom they have imposed on their societies, allowing for the democratics to influence some control without the state becoming aware of its actions (De Tocqueville, 1889). Comparing these themes of freedom to 19th century despotic France, individuals would be prevented from mobilizing political parties or speaking of political views, and the press would not have been allowed to print any political views, for fear of being imprisoned. Overall, De Tocqueville states the factors of the right of association, freedom of the press, and religion allow democratic states like America to be free.
In Democracy in America, De Tocqueville attempts to inform readers of the potential dangers he anticipated in the political context of democracy. Aside from the dangers associated with freedom, such as freedom of (hate) speech, freedom of war, and freedom of political views, De Tocqueville highlights the dangers of the ‘tyranny of the majority’ and the oppression of women, African Americans, and the Native Americans. One of De Tocqueville’s core concepts is the ‘tyranny of the majority,’ which outlines the fact that when the rights of one majority group increases, the rights of other groups in a society diminish (De Tocqueville, 1889). This democratic paradox summarizes that the freedom of one group may oppress the freedom of another, and taking away the basic rights democracy offers society in the first place. Another danger that De Tocqueville observes in the democratic society of America is the oppression of women through egalitarianism. In his travels across America, De Tocqueville observed that there is a sexual division of labour in which women are confined to the home by their husbands, who are in turn free to become involved in political action, conduct business, and earn an income (Turner, 2008:206). De Tocqueville attempts to persuade readers that women are important for both the transmission of cultural values and moral of society from one generation to the other, calming the ‘democratic excess,’ and for the administration of a domestic economy (De Tocqueville, 1889). As important as women may be, the oppression of women through the egalitarian-democratic society imposed heavy burdens on women, such as social subordination, yielding to male authority, expected ignorance, and the independence of men at the expense of women (Turner, 2008: 211). De Toqueville intended on providing insight on the oppression of women in democratic societies.
De Toqueville’s insight on the oppression of the African American and Native American groups in Democracy in America gives insight onto one of the dangers of democratic societies. According to De Tocqueville (1889), three races residing in America are the Anglo-Americans (European descended whites), Native Americans, and the African Americans, where the Negros and the Indians are considered the subordinate races. The two races have nothing in common with the exception of being subject to tyranny, are considered inferior in societal rank, and have been oppressed by the Anglo-Americans (De Tocqueville, 1889). Where the Negros have been oppressed through slavery after being taken from their homeland, sold to those of ‘superior’ status, and/or have been born into slavery, the Natives have had their land ripped out from underneath their feet, forced to live in the margins of society, and have thus lost all way of traditional life (De Tocqueville, 1889). Both of these ‘inferior’ groups have been forced into racial submission, both have been pushed in to isolation, and both have lost dignity and freedom to the majority group in the democratic state (Turner, 2008: 214). Thus, in Democracy in America, Alexis De Tocqueville addresses the success of the democratic state in America in comparison to France, and the dangers observed in democracy in terms of the situation of women and lower class societies.
Questions and Insights
One of the most predominant questions that De Tocqueville asks is whether people or property should govern society, answered by observing the similarities and differences of the European and French democracies.
In this case, people would be a democratic regime and property would be that of an Aristocratic regime. Due to the attempts De Tocqueville made to study America in order to provide guidelines for the French, one can safely assume that De Toqueville believed that the people should govern society. De Tocqueville found that the unique American democracy had none of the social conflicts that France had experienced in their search for democracy, yet still retained a stature of liberty, a societal class equality, and direction of public affairs (Zeitlin,
2001:88-89).
A predominant insight De Tocqueville brought us was the implication of slavery on the African Americans. As mentioned before, De Tocqueville clearly highlights the effects of direct slavery, yet he goes into further insight to reveal that even when slaves are freed of their status, they are still shunned by society due to the fact that slavery was racial (all Negros associated with slavery), that the memory of slavery dishonours the race itself, and the superiority the whites feel over the Negros (Turner, 2008: 213-214). Alexis brought to light the fact that slavery itself was not the issue, but the democratic society’s majority oppressing a minority in social, physical, and emotional ways.
Thesis
Alexis De Tocqueville’s methodology in Democracy in America was to focus on the social equality and inequality, and using the critical approach, created a thesis based on the social equalities and inequalities brought on by democracy. Using his thesis, De Tocqueville has been able to suggest that democracy brings about equality through the freedom factors of right of association, freedom of press, and religion, as explained earlier. However, democracy may also bring about equality through the creation of a tyrannical majority, oppression of societal groups such as the Negros and the Natives by a majority group, and the subordination of women by men, as explained earlier in the text. These core concepts allowed De Tocqueville to define both beneficial and detrimental aspects of American democracy in order to relate it back to his own country.
Contemporary Sociological Issue In the 19th century, Alexis de Tocqueville gave insight to the inequalities of both women and African American slaves, which can be applied to the contemporary issue of the human trafficking of women through both the aspects of female subordination and the oppression of African Americans. Human trafficking consists of the exchange or purchase of a human being for sexual or slavery purposes. These women are generally abducted from their communities or are born into the trade as they are sold by parents or guardians. In relation to the Three Races theory, the women being oppressed in this trade are similar to the African Americans in the 19th century in the fact that their basic freedoms are taken away from them when they are brought into the trade, either by force from their homeland or through birth. Just like the African Americans, the women have lost their dignity and freedom, are forced into submission by their ‘superiors,’ and are required to perform tasks that include manual labour. Another similarity to 19th century slavery is the sexual aspect, as women brought into human trafficking are mainly used for sexual acts, and many Negro women and children were bought for similar purposes or were raped by their ‘superiors’ often (Turner, 2008: 213). In contrast to 19th century slavery, the human trafficking trade involves predominantly young women from many races and ethnicities, whereas only African American people of any gender or age were involved in slavery. Another aspect of human trafficking is the subordination of women, as young women are almost always used in human trafficking; this can be related to De Tocqueville’s work through his theories on the oppression of women through male domination and confinement. According to De Tocqueville (1889), women in the 19th century America were living in an egalitarian society and required by society to submit to male domination through the sexual division of labour. Today, women are forced to submit to (usually) male ‘superiors’ through predominantly sexual acts, and cannot escape from the dominance due to the fact that they depend on the male for basic needs (he is the ‘breadwinner’ in this situation). De Tocqueville’s work also gives insight to the confinement of women in the home due to her role as a domestic labourer. Women involved in human trafficking are forced to remain in the home and perform manual and sexual labour, often being confined to smaller spaces and forced to bear chains until they are completely submissive to the male. The women are confined to the home of her ‘superior’ due to her role as a domestic and sexual labourer. In contrast to De Tocqueville’s work, women involved in human trafficking are imprisoned physically and mentally, whereas women in the 19th century were only considered imprisoned mentally (Turner, 2008:209). Thus, applying De Tocqueville’s theory of the subordination of women shows that human trafficking and the oppression of women are related in male dominance and confinement.
In Conclusion Alexis De Tocqueville analyzes the social equality and inequality of American democratic society, highlighting injustice and suppression of lower class societies, subordination of women, and the dangers of democracy, whilst giving clear insight on the benefits of a democratic state in society. De Tocqueville’s sociological contributions were important not only for the development of democratic policy in society but also to show how individualism hinders the struggle for social equality – where a majority of individuals pursue self-interest without caring about the interests of a society as a whole, oppression is formed and the democratic state becomes tyrannical. De Tocqueville’s work to this day remains a valuable ‘mirror’ in which democratic societies should reflect upon in order to benefit their entire society as a whole.
References
De Tocqueville, Alexis, trans. Frohen, Bruce. (2002 [1889]). Democracy in America. London: Regenery Publishing.
Elazar, Daniel J. (1999). Tocqueville and the cultural basis of American democracy. Ps, Political Science and Politics, 32(2): 207-210. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.subzero.lib.uoguelph.ca/docview/224954818?accountid=1123 Sage, Elizabeth M. (2010). A dubious science; political economy and the social question in 19th century France. Reference and Research Book News, 25(1): 1-170. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.subzero.lib.uoguelph.ca/docview/199730631?accountid=1123 Tishman, Primrose P. (2004). The role of religion in Alexis de Tocqueville’s “Democracy in America”. Retrieved from ProQuest Digital Dissertations (AAT 3152655)
Turner, Jack. (2008). American individualism and structural injustice: Tocqueville, gender, and race. Polity, 40(2): 197-215. doi:10.1057/palgrave.polity.2300088
Zeitlin, Irving M. (2001). Ideology and the development of sociological theory, 7th edition. Upper Saddle River: Prentice-Hall Inc.