Observations on American Democracy by Alexis de Tocqueville

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Western Kentucky University
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Government theses Government
12-1977
The Masterless Society: Observations on American
Democracy by Alexis de Tocqueville
James Tyrie Jr.
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Tyrie, James Jr., "The Masterless Society: Observations on American Democracy by Alexis de Tocqueville" (1977).Government theses.
Paper 1.
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•
THE I~~TERLEJS SOCIETYI OB~ERVATIONJ O~
AMERICA:1 O:.\t.:OCRACY OY ALEXr,; DE ?OCQ'E'l ILL~
A Thesis
Pronented to
the Faculty of the Department of Government
~1cst~rn i<ent'lcky Ilniversity
BOlv1 ing Green. Kent'lcky
•
In Partial Fulfillment
of the Reqll irem'lots for the Degreo
r:aster of Arts
by
Jane::: S. Tyrie, Jr.
• December 1977
•
AUTHORIZATION FOR USE OF THESIS
Permis.ion 15 hereby
~ranted
to the Western Kentucky University Library to
make, or allow to be made photocopies. microfilm or other
copies of this the.iII (or appropriate research or scholarly
purp.lsell.
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• thesis except (or brief acctions for research or Icholarly
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Date
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Thill (orm will be filed with the original of the thcal.s and will control
future lIle of the thesili •
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• cCOMMtmd<'d \ - ? 3 - t"\ B
(::In to)
t;:::ir
f o~c~c!f:-,
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ApprOVerl'~_-~} __- L7TI-T~7~J~ _________
- (Uate)
//.,-,
,
'Jean of t.he College
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ii
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The writer wisheo to acknowledgo hts indebtedness to
several individuals who sacrificed their time in making this
paper possible. Sincere appreciation 1s expressed to Dr. Edward
N. Kearny. who suggested the topic of the thesis. His valuable
comments, insight. and guidance were of great benefit.
Appreciation is alao expressed to Dr. John D. Parker and
Dr. ?aye Carroll for their help and guldRnce.
A special appreciation is given to my wife. Betsy, for
• her expertise and perseverance in the many hours of typing
the rr.anuscr ipt •
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Hi
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TABLE OF CONTE~ITS
.... .... . .. . ... . .. . .
ACKNO'IILEDGM=:NTS
iii
Chapter
1. INTJ.:OD 'c'r ION
II. FOUNDATIONS OF FREEDOM
9
Ill. EQllALlTY OF CONDITIONS 20
1'1. THE t<:ASTERLES$ SOCIETY
35
V. ECONvrlIC f.lAfERIALISi,:,
!MSTERLESS soc IETY 50
V I. SAFEG'!AROS AGAINST TilE .. NE·. .. DESPOT ISN" . 62
• . .... .... . .
'Ill. COHCLI'SION!:) • • • • . • • • 72
!UBLIOGP.APHY • • • • • • • • • • . • • • • • • • • • • • 76
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THE MASTERLESS SOCIETY,
OBSERVATIONS ON AMERICAN DEr.OCRACY
BY ALEXIS DE TOCQUEVILLE
James S. Tyrie. Jr. December 1977 84 pages
Directed by, Edward N. Kearny, John D. Parker. and Faye Carroll
Department of Government ~estern Kentucky University
Prench political theorist Alexis de Tocqueville's views
cor.earning American democracy were examined in order to discern
key aspects of democratic thought and practice in America.
Tocqueville found certain fundament8 1 pr~mises such as Ind i
vidual freedom and "equality of conditions" at the base of
• democracy in America. Prom these basic premises come several
paradoxical results, namely the rnssterlesu society. economic
materialism. and "tyranny of the majority." The$e paradoxec
are controlled by safeguardS of aSAociations, ttle preBs, and
the judiciary within the system. It was found that Tocqueville's
detachment and foresight give his thought greater meaning than
that of many contemporary social and political thinkers such as
Jean-Jacques Revel and others. This high degree of foresight and
detachment make it possible fo. students to discover an~
rediscover basic facets of American society today.
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I'I':'RO~" CT 10:1
~learl II one h!l:"ldred and ft f:..y j'e'!.r:: 3"'0. n va mf' i"rench
oolitlcal !lcicntiGt named ALexis de Tocq'lev1l1e, atone with
hll1 etol'te fric:"!d CUg ave de ~eall:nont.. cane to Anerica under the
prctllnse of st.mbl.nl7 the A,'erican pennl sy:.;te"l h'a l~ft. with
who. for GaMe i:3 the true moaninf' of "mel'lear. dcI'lOc!'ocv.
'!'!lh: visit took pIneo in 1811 and tantod nearl" one ,,{'ar.
rn this relativelY :::hort stay, ':'ocq'JCvitle, thro'li'h 1''.1.G
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persist.ent. qucGtloning and intcrviewinp, discerned ko') n3pects
of democratic thoupht. and practice in America Which ~,3d been
overlooked l'Jy nany contcnpornry :.;t'ldents of Anericnn rlenocracy.
roth =.:uropcnn and Ame!"ican. :-:ven today. Tocquevilte's two
1101'11:10 work entitled Democracv in flnerica rennins a classic
""I\rely match d in its provoc&.t\ve pro..,in" of A:r.erican nociet~.
:"':0 major factors contrih:Jtc to the IIniqur.nc:;s of 'l'oco"cville's
political t.hour,ht.
;-'irst. '!'ocqueville'g detachr.tent from America kept his
findinP-G unfettered. H~ was k traveler in a stranrc land and
as s'lch was able to tnke a removed viewpoint of the AMeriean
scene. As a sophisticated ~uropenn traveler in a stran~e
land, Tocqueville was in a better position to perceive Anerica
•
from a broad cosmopolitan perspective rather than from a narrow
phrochial viewpoint,
• ?
Tocquevllle's independence ~M nn obBe~Ver WOJ enhnnced
by the fact that he was not only physically rletachod from
America via Prance but alco Ideologicully douchod and free from
preferences which would tend to cloud hlG thought. Unlike
many who came to Americ& with preset ldeologicnl notiono of
democracy, Tocquevllie was able to hold his preconccptlontJ at.
a diotance while Observing. This e~~bled him to give a
somewhat more accurate Rccount of the political and social
ins-::itutions he observed in the United States. If one compared
the writings of Tocqueville with. for example. those of
Thomas Paine. one might discover he ... an nbnence of bllndinR
ideological preferences in Tocquev1l1e's case adds to hill
• uniqueness as an observer of American institutions .
Thomas Paine was one of the greatoot propagnndluta nnd
polit ical pamphleteerti who ever lived. But he wa~ not nn
astute observer. He came to America from England w 1t .h
preconceived notions of government and the ~ommon man.
A long history of early hardships had instilled in him n
hatred of government and aristocracy, together with an
unblemished regard for the common man. Common Sense was n
brilliant reflection of what tho common man in America was
feeling in 1775. But it will never rank high as nn explanation
of American character or institutions.
In contrast to Paine, Tocqueville 8eems to have the
uncanny ability to shed preconceived notions and impressions
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of hio aristocratic past enabling him to give an accurate and
...."rc9ptive Ilcc\'Iunt of demucntic mores in the United States.
• )
It is this ahillty of Tocquev!.l1e to oh~d hill .. ristocratlc
~roundinpo that adds to the uniqlencsG and detachmen~ of his
writinp'~.
Toeq'lovillc, more than r'lost poUtical \. . riters anr:!
trlnkcrn of the cirhtccnth and nineteenth centuries, ·.. . as ahle
to pive an ex~rnordinnrily objective aeco lnt of 1CMocratic
in!:: t i tilt iono in Ar.H~r ien. As Den,tnM in r'. ','ir i"'h t po in ts o'll,
"'!'ocq'lcvlltc saw with 8r:'!a7.inp clarity, where othero !law h'lt
ha7ilv if at all. thnt danoerney was on the 'NI\\', that the
hroadeninp: 0 power and privitera \'o'ns nn incvitat>le stare of
IVlI'Ian evolution."l For a f.uropean aristocrat to make this
forecRot required a large mcasun~ of detact,Ment.
• A l':ccond factor charflct.crit;tic of ':'ocq IcvillC't;
thOtlJ"ht Wft~ hiG dep'ree of foreGi.ht, 7oc~',If'ville !lce~ed to
hnve a ,'onarkahle a"lility to anticipate ;'meriean t.rends and
iRS'les. I'nnv of the o'loerva t i ... n~ thn t are "'ounti in h h: wr i t inr'fl
3re :"e le ... an t in todav' S GOC ie ty UG ev iJc:~=&d in the fo 110v.' in!"
quotel
There nrc. at the present til1e. two ~reat nntions
1n the world which see:n to tend tovlards the same end,
nlthouph they started f:-on different points: I all'lde
to the !lussians and the Americam;. ":loth of them have
grO',vn up 'lnnoticed: snd whilst the attention of
l'I1ankind \'taG di:-ected elgewhere, they r.ave (lllddenly
assumed a mOGt prominent place amongst the nations:
and the world learned ~heir existence nnd their
prentness at al"oat the same time.
All other nations seem to have ~early renched thcir
on turnl lini ts. and on ly to he char~ed with the
113cn,lnmin P. "lright. "American Government and Politics
•
of Democracy in America,N American Politi~al Science kevicw
40 (Fe\"ruary 191.6) I 57 •