Summary Of Democracy In America By Tocqueville

In “Democracy in America,” Alexis de Tocqueville argues that the biggest danger of democracy is the feeling of, what he coins, “Individualism.” Tocqueville states when introducing the concept of individualism that it is “of democratic origin” and may spread with the “same ratio as the equality of conditions” (Volume 2; Part 2; Ch 2.). His primary reason for this is that in an equal society men are no longer attached to other men. He compares it to an aristocracy, where every man is a link in a chain, having a link above (who they serve) and a link below (who serves them). Equality eliminates this explicit hierarchy and reduces the forced interaction between classes and those of different backgrounds, leading to individualism. . Tocqueville
One way is through having local self government, as it forces individuals to become more involved because the issues directly affect them or require their immediate attention. On this point, Tocqueville remarks man “does not clearly understand what influence the destiny of the State can have upon his own lot,” but when the local government does something that affects him, such as building a road on his land, “he will see at a glance that there is a connection between this small public affair and his greatest private affairs.” Tocqueville believes that this is sufficient to show the individual “the close tie which unites private to general interest.” Another way Tocqueville says American society limits the effects of individualism is through free institutions. Our political system is one where progress cannot be made without compromises and working with people you might not agree with or want to associate with. Thus, to get things done, individuals must break out of their circles and “reach across the aisle.” . Tocqueville also mentions newspapers, and by extension associations, as a way individualism is curbed in American society. Newspapers do this not only by informing members of associations about common ideas, but also by laying out the plans for action by said members. This “call to action” draws members to interact with the community as a whole. Tocqueville also notes, because
We live in a society that, transformed through social media, is more connected than it has ever been. Never before have strangers who live in Texas, Rhode Island, and China all been able weigh in on the same idea in real time. How can Tocqueville’s warning of individualism hold any weight in a society like this? Facebook, for example, connects over two billion people across the globe. In 2017, Facebook made 98% percent of it’s global revenue through advertising. This reliance on ads means the more time a user spends on Facebook, the more profit they make. This shifts Facebook’s focus from showing quality content (the stuff that makes one critically think, disagree, or form new ideas) to showing content that keeps people around. This content confirms one’s biases, reinforces their existing views, and essentially turns facebook into a personalized echo chamber. What is this, but individualism? Under the illusion that we are more connected, Facebook implicitly severs us from the masses and places us into our own personalized bubbles, not unlike the ones Tocqueville