In this neglected memoir, written just after the first volume of Democracy in America, Tocqueville seeks to understand why the most impoverished countries of Europe in his time had the fewest paupers, while the most opulent nation—England—had the most.
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While acknowledging that private charity is not always "aroused by every cry of pain," Tocqueville was convinced that "any permanent, regular administrative system whose aim will be to provide for the needs of the poor will breed more miseries than it can cure...." Paradoxically, Tocqueville concluded that the richer the country, the bigger problem it usually has with the poor. The more wealth, comforts and education some people acquire, the more they feel the need to compensate those left behind; the more the underclass feels entitled to compensation for less-than-basic needs, he observes, the more dependent it becomes. -- Los Angeles Times Sunday Book Review, Lynn Smith
Language Notes
Text: English (translation)
Original Language: French --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Original Language: French --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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5.0 out of 5 stars
A Short Essay from Tocqueville,
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This review is from: Memoir on Pauperism (Hardcover)
Written in 1835, at 36 pages, Memoir of Pauperism is more of an essay than a book. Gertrude Himmelfarb sets the context with a nice 21 page introduction. Because of the size, you won't find the same level of investigation or depth as in Democracy in America or the Ancien Regime and the French Revolution; however, Tocqueville's writing style is ever the same: thoughtful and concise.First, Tocqueville presents a theory on the development of inequality among men. Then, he gets into the specifics of the problem of the poor in England with special emphasis on his criticism and deconstruction of the English state welfare system. It is much the same argument and issues that surround the subject today. As social commentary from Tocqueville is always of the highest order, This work is a worthy addition to a library.
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Memoir on Pauperism,
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