Democracy achieved through long and arduous struggles may make people feel embarrassed and even ashamed
Because it is disappointing
Perhaps the one who knows the most about this feeling and knows modern democracy is a French aristocrat in the 19th century.
Alexis de Tocqueville
For Tocqueville, democracy is a very novel political option.
He was born in 1805, when Napoleon was half a European populist dictator
But he speculates and believes that democracy will be the future of the world, so he wants to know
What would it be like?
In order to get the answer, he set out to go to the United States with the support of the French government.
In May 1831 he and his friend Gustav De Beaumont came to New York.
Then they started a nine-month journey in this new country.
After the journey, he turned his ideas into one of the greatest works of political philosophy.
“On Democracy in the United States”, published in 1835
In this book, Tocqueville pays special attention to the negative problems of democracy.
Tocqueville realized his childhood in French society.
Making money is not the first thought people think about.
The poor do not have hope for earning wealth. And the upper class of a few aristocratic landowners do not need to make more money.
For various reasons, money is not the way to judge life.
However, the Americans that Tocqueville knows on the road believe in continuous hard work.
Can make wealth, and it is totally worthy of respect and correct
Money seems to be the only achievement that Americans admire
An example observed by Tocqueville, in the United States, people think that if the book is not selling well
That book is not a good book. Because the only criterion for evaluating any item is how much it can earn.
Democracy and capitalism therefore seem fair
But it’s actually a very flat way of letting people judge each other.
In “On Democracy in the United States,” there is a chapter on “Why Americans are still restless during the boom?”
Tocqueville outlined a high hope and dissatisfaction,
Analysis of political equality and embarrassment. He wrote
When all identity privileges and property are cancelled, all occupations are open to everyone
A person with aspirations may think that he will have a good career and think that it is destined.
But this is just a delusion that can be denied by experience.
When inequality is the norm in society, maximum inequality will not attract attention.
But when everyone is at an almost equal level, small inequality can become negligible.
This is the strange depression that residents of democratic countries often show in rich life.
And the cause of disgust in a comfortable life.
Tocqueville recognizes the old European rating system
Killing all hopes of the poor to carry out social movements
It’s obvious in every respect.
But it provides a greater freedom for the underlying class
That is, not taking social achievements as a reference point
What they need most is the importance of social status.
Usually we think that democracy is the opposite of tyranny
But Tocqueville found that democracy can easily produce its own tyranny.
Tyranny of the majority
He believes that democratic culture usually demonizes different ideas, especially cultural superiority.
Although this gesture may be related to real advantages
Under the tyranny of the majority, society has an instinct of aggressive stratification
Anyone who is higher than himself is regarded as a civic virtue.
And greatly reduce their number
Tocqueville is confused about the United States without discrimination
They won’t think anyone just because of them
When I have been a doctor for seven years, or have studied law for 20 years, or wrote some good books, I am better than myself.
Use a healthy, respectful way to oppose the act of easily listening to authority
Contributing to the unhelpful attitude of not accepting any form of submission
However, in Tokville’s view
Some people in the society are more intelligent, smarter, more friendly and more mature than others.
Therefore their opinions should be paid special attention
Tocqueville believes that democracy is destined to be mediocre
You may think that democracy can encourage people to have open minds.
However, Tocqueville reached the opposite conclusion
A place that lacks ideological independence and freedom of speech than the United States is hard to find.
Americans believe that their system is fair and just, they simply give up critical thinking.
They put “faith” in the newspaper and widely told it to become “common sense.”
More seriously, this is a commercial society.
Americans consciously keep distance from neighbors who may be customers
Especially when selling items, they prefer to sing clichés than original ones.
Although Tocqueville has said a lot about the cold facts about the United States and democracy.
Tocqueville is not anti-democratic or anti-American
He just wants to explain why living in democracy can be annoying and frustrating in some key aspects.
He taught us some pains that need to be expected
Don’t be too surprised or shocked, don’t have to have false expectations
Democracy is terrible in some respects
It’s not to say that something is wrong.
When you give the ultimate right to everyone, it’s just the price you have to pay and voluntarily pay.
Because it is disappointing
Perhaps the one who knows the most about this feeling and knows modern democracy is a French aristocrat in the 19th century.
Alexis de Tocqueville
For Tocqueville, democracy is a very novel political option.
He was born in 1805, when Napoleon was half a European populist dictator
But he speculates and believes that democracy will be the future of the world, so he wants to know
What would it be like?
In order to get the answer, he set out to go to the United States with the support of the French government.
In May 1831 he and his friend Gustav De Beaumont came to New York.
Then they started a nine-month journey in this new country.
After the journey, he turned his ideas into one of the greatest works of political philosophy.
“On Democracy in the United States”, published in 1835
In this book, Tocqueville pays special attention to the negative problems of democracy.
Tocqueville realized his childhood in French society.
Making money is not the first thought people think about.
The poor do not have hope for earning wealth. And the upper class of a few aristocratic landowners do not need to make more money.
For various reasons, money is not the way to judge life.
However, the Americans that Tocqueville knows on the road believe in continuous hard work.
Can make wealth, and it is totally worthy of respect and correct
Money seems to be the only achievement that Americans admire
An example observed by Tocqueville, in the United States, people think that if the book is not selling well
That book is not a good book. Because the only criterion for evaluating any item is how much it can earn.
Democracy and capitalism therefore seem fair
But it’s actually a very flat way of letting people judge each other.
In “On Democracy in the United States,” there is a chapter on “Why Americans are still restless during the boom?”
Tocqueville outlined a high hope and dissatisfaction,
Analysis of political equality and embarrassment. He wrote
When all identity privileges and property are cancelled, all occupations are open to everyone
A person with aspirations may think that he will have a good career and think that it is destined.
But this is just a delusion that can be denied by experience.
When inequality is the norm in society, maximum inequality will not attract attention.
But when everyone is at an almost equal level, small inequality can become negligible.
This is the strange depression that residents of democratic countries often show in rich life.
And the cause of disgust in a comfortable life.
Tocqueville recognizes the old European rating system
Killing all hopes of the poor to carry out social movements
It’s obvious in every respect.
But it provides a greater freedom for the underlying class
That is, not taking social achievements as a reference point
What they need most is the importance of social status.
Usually we think that democracy is the opposite of tyranny
But Tocqueville found that democracy can easily produce its own tyranny.
Tyranny of the majority
He believes that democratic culture usually demonizes different ideas, especially cultural superiority.
Although this gesture may be related to real advantages
Under the tyranny of the majority, society has an instinct of aggressive stratification
Anyone who is higher than himself is regarded as a civic virtue.
And greatly reduce their number
Tocqueville is confused about the United States without discrimination
They won’t think anyone just because of them
When I have been a doctor for seven years, or have studied law for 20 years, or wrote some good books, I am better than myself.
Use a healthy, respectful way to oppose the act of easily listening to authority
Contributing to the unhelpful attitude of not accepting any form of submission
However, in Tokville’s view
Some people in the society are more intelligent, smarter, more friendly and more mature than others.
Therefore their opinions should be paid special attention
Tocqueville believes that democracy is destined to be mediocre
You may think that democracy can encourage people to have open minds.
However, Tocqueville reached the opposite conclusion
A place that lacks ideological independence and freedom of speech than the United States is hard to find.
Americans believe that their system is fair and just, they simply give up critical thinking.
They put “faith” in the newspaper and widely told it to become “common sense.”
More seriously, this is a commercial society.
Americans consciously keep distance from neighbors who may be customers
Especially when selling items, they prefer to sing clichés than original ones.
Although Tocqueville has said a lot about the cold facts about the United States and democracy.
Tocqueville is not anti-democratic or anti-American
He just wants to explain why living in democracy can be annoying and frustrating in some key aspects.
He taught us some pains that need to be expected
Don’t be too surprised or shocked, don’t have to have false expectations
Democracy is terrible in some respects
It’s not to say that something is wrong.
When you give the ultimate right to everyone, it’s just the price you have to pay and voluntarily pay.
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