6 Quotes About Alexis De Tocqueville

Alexis de Tocqueville, a French aristocrat by birth, was a prominent early 19th century political thinker and scholar who lived in the United States from 1831 to 1848. His exploration of the American character and his belief that the democratic ideals of the country had been overstated shaped his views on democracy and caused him to believe that civil liberties could be restricted as necessary for the common good. He also urged France to avoid war with Prussia, which would lead to the Franco-Prussian War. He is best remembered for his magnum opus Democracy in America, published during his lifetime.

1
No true power can be founded among men which does not depend upon the free union of their inclinations Unknown
2
Society was cut in two: those who had nothing united in common envy Unknown
3
Laws are always unstable unless they are founded upon the manners of the nation Unknown
4
When the taste for physical gratifications among them has grown more rapidly than their education. .. the time will come when men are carried away and lose all self-restraint. .. . It is not necessary to do violence to such a people in order to strip them of the rights they enjoy Unknown
5
It is impossible to read this opening paragraph without an involuntary feeling of religious awe Unknown