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Democracy in America (Harper Perennial Modern Classics)

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... of Sociology.

I had expected that deTocqueville's classic would be a study of political technique, like an expanded version of The Prince or The Art Of War. Instead Democracy in America (Harper Perennial Modern Classics) is an original and powerful exploration of Sociology (generations before Max Weber).

deTocqueville draws on his experiences touring the United States in 1830 to make observations and speculations about the influence of social ideals (especially equality and liberty) on all sorts of human institutions and behaviors: religion, culture, industry, government, war, education, culture, etc. Along the way, he paints a comprehensive picture of life in America and Europe in the early 19th century.

The theme of the book is that the U.S. experiment with Democracy has many (positive and negative) lessons for Europe. deTocqueville's ideas are not always convincing or consistent. But they are always clearly presented and frequently provocative. So the book is valuable both as history and social science.

A secondary theme, not well enough appreciated in our day, is the inherent tension between equality and freedom. The book's global relevance is proven by its final paragraph:
"The nations of our day cannot prevent conditions of equality from spreading in their midst. But it depends upon themselves whether equality is to lead to servitude or freedom, knowledge or barbarism, prosperity or wretchedness."

Alexis De Tocqueville was simply of one of the great social scientists writing about America and Democracy. From reading the book I deduced that Tocqueville was a social scientist before Marx! He compares European culture and government with the fledgling culture and democracy he observes in America. He is very much impressed with what he sees taking place in America in the 1830's and hopes it will spread to Europe. He at first believed that America's prosperity was simply due to geography and their distance from powerful neighbors, he abandons this idea after his visit to America. He comes to realize that the West is not being peopled "by new European immigrants to America, but by Americans who he believes have no adversity to taking risks." Tocqueville comes to see that Americans are the most broadly educated and politically advanced people in the world and one of the reasons for the success of our form of government. He also foretells America's industrial preeminence and strength through the unfettered spread of ideas and human industry.

Tocqueville also saw the insidious damage that the institution of slavery was causing the country and predicted some 30 years before the Civil War that slavery would probable cause the states to fragment from the union. He also the emergence of stronger states rights over the power of the federal government. He held fast to his belief that the greatest danger to democracy was the trend toward the concentration of power by the federal government. He predicted wrongly that the union would probably break up into two or three countries because of regional interests and differences. This idea is the only one about America that he gets wrong. Despite some of his misgivings, Tocqueville, saw that democracy is an "inescapable development" of the modern world. The arguments in the "Federalist Papers" were greater then most people realized. He saw a social revolution coming that continues throughout the world today.

Tocqueville realizes at the very beginning of the "industrial revolution" how industry, centralization, and democracy strengthened each other and moved forward together. I am convinced that Tocqueville is still the preeminent observer of America but is also the father of social science. A must read for anyone interested in American history, political philosophy or the social sciences.

Alexis de Tocqueville sees America, her people and institutions, from a foreign perspective and draws numerous insights which are timeless. His ability to contrast early American culture with Europe and cultures of ages past shows the reader how and why things were different in America at the time of his visit. Each of the pieces fits together well, progressing along a line of growing appreciation from a man willing to see things as they are as opposed to one who simply wants to critique. Perhaps most compelling are the warnings de Tocqueville sets forth, many of which have not been heeded by America. These prescriptions for continued social harmony no doubt should be revisited and examined for their ability to bring about the best outcomes for all. In any case, de Tocqueville presents an excellent political primer for anyone interested in a deep understanding of social structure, it's causes, benefits, and hazards.

This edition lacks scholarship. The introduction is a few (well-written) pages; almost every effort is given to let de Tocqueville speak for himself. More effort to supplement the footnotes or to give the work historical context would be appreciated. The translation is well-done.