Democracy In America, vol 2 | Page 3

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A request to all readers: I have tried to catch as many actual errors as I
could, but I am sure others exist. If you notice an error, please let me
know, identifying by chapter and paragraph where the mistake occurs.
David Reed, [email protected] or [email protected]

Democracy In America Alexis De Tocqueville Translator - Henry
Reeve

Book Two

A request to all readers: I have tried to catch as many actual errors as I
could, but I am sure others exist. If you notice an error, please let me
know, identifying by chapter and paragraph where the mistake occurs.
David Reed, [email protected] or [email protected]

Influence Of Democracy On Progress Of Opinion In US
De Tocqueville's Preface To The Second Part
The Americans live in a democratic state of society, which has

naturally suggested to them certain laws and a certain political
character. This same state of society has, moreover, engendered
amongst them a multitude of feelings and opinions which were
unknown amongst the elder aristocratic communities of Europe: it has
destroyed or modified all the relations which before existed, and
established others of a novel kind. The aspect of civil society has been
no less affected by these changes than that of the political world. The
former subject has been treated of in the work on the Democracy of
America, which I published five years ago; to examine the latter is the
object of the present book; but these two parts complete each other, and
form one and the same work.
I must at once warn the reader against an error which would be
extremely prejudicial to me. When he finds that I attribute so many
different consequences to the principle of equality, he may thence infer
that I consider that principle to be the sole cause of all that takes place
in the present age: but this would be to impute to me a very narrow
view. A multitude of opinions, feelings, and propensities are now in
existence, which owe their origin to circumstances unconnected with or
even contrary to the principle of equality. Thus if I were to select the
United States as an example, I could easily prove that the nature of the
country, the origin of its inhabitants, the religion of its founders, their
acquired knowledge, and their former habits, have exercised, and still
exercise, independently of democracy, a vast influence upon the
thoughts and feelings of that people. Different causes, but no less
distinct from the circumstance of the equality of conditions, might be
traced in Europe, and would explain a great portion of the occurrences
taking place amongst us.
I acknowledge the existence of all these different causes, and their
power, but my subject does not lead me to treat of them. I have not
undertaken to unfold the reason of all our inclinations and all our
notions: my only object is to show in what respects the principle of
equality has modified both the former and the latter.
Some readers may perhaps be astonished that - firmly persuaded as I
am that the democratic revolution which we are witnessing is an
irresistible fact against which it would be neither desirable nor wise to
struggle - I should often have had occasion in this book to address
language of such severity to those democratic communities which this

revolution has brought into being. My answer is simply, that it is
because I am not an adversary of democracy, that I have sought to
speak of democracy in all sincerity.
Men will not accept truth at the hands of their enemies, and truth is
seldom offered to them by their friends: for this reason I have spoken it.
I was persuaded that many would take upon themselves to announce
the new blessings which the principle of equality promises to mankind,
but that few would dare to point out from afar the dangers with which it
threatens them. To those