De Tocqueville
When concept takes on many different meanings it probably means nothing. One of the things that it is becoming apparent is that the terms "public sphere" and "civil sphere" appear to take on different meanings when described by different writers. Nonetheless, these terms and the nuances in what they represent depending on the writer can move beyond false universals and thinking that is entrenched in rigid definitions (Edwards 2004).
Alexis de Tocqueville may have been the one of those who popularized the notion of a "civil society" especially as a result of his visits to the United States in the 1830s and his writings on democracy. He viewed America's rich associational life (public sphere) as crucial in its development of the new democracy. The original notion of a civil society represented a type of culture that was associated with certain ideals and realizing such ideals would involve the actions of many different institutions as opposed to the voluntary associations that de Tocqueville commented on (Edwards, 2004). The more current notions of the civil society have evolved as a public sphere where the citizens debate with one-another about the great issues of the day and collaborate on an evolving awareness of a common or "public interest" (Edwards, 2004). De Tocqueville famously made the prediction that the United States and Russia would rise to be the dominant forces in world politics due to their vast resources under the domination of a quasi-European state (Malia, 2000). However, one of these countries evolved a sophisticated public sphere relatively early in its development, whereas the other country...
The criticisms that de Tocqueville levels against American society, and especially against some of the particulars of its governance, continue in his discussion of the potential tyranny of the majority. Americans regard the majority much as Europeans viewed their king, according to de Tocqueville: it can do no wrong, and any wrong it does do is only due to bad advice or information. This subservience, according to de Tocqueville, creates
Alexis De Tocqueville In every era of equality each man looks for his beliefs within his self and in the era of equality men are unconnected of one another, isolated, and frail. (Vol: 2; Section 1: Chapter: 3) In a democratic society, the citizens are extremely defenseless, however the state, that characterize them all and holds them all its clutches, is extremely authoritative. In no other form of administration, citizens are
Political Philosophy II: Theories of Freedom To answer the questions of why De Tocqueville and Mill think that democracy is a threat to the liberty of the individual and whether they are right, this paper will show that both De Tocqueville and Mill viewed democracy as a mechanism that could easily become tyrannical and thus overwhelm one's individual liberty. Considering that democracy in its various forms (direct, representative, constitutional) is capable
American National Character (history) The Ongoing Search for an "American National Character" This assignment asks the following pertinent and challenging questions: Is it possible to find trends amongst so much diversity? What characteristics are distinctly American, regardless of class, race, and background? What is problematic about making these generalizations and inheriting the culture? What have we inherited exactly? What problems arise with our ideals - and are we being honest with ourselves?
Religious Liberty as Stated in the First Amendment Religious Liberty The practical and legal ramifications of religious liberty are not difficult to determine, for they follow from the theological implications of the concept of religious liberty. The idea of religious truth, such as defined by the North Carolina state government in 1776 which forbade anyone from serving who denied the truth of the Protestant religion, has no place in a country
Unfortunately, we have had no more success at finding that limit than Mill did, for what we see all around us today is that very same "political despotism" of which Mill speaks with trepidation. Mill writes that it is the "majority" who makes "the ways of mankind" (102-3), but his notion of "majority rule" appears to be based on the assumption that political despotism has not been enshrined. Majority rule
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