CONTENTS
[ Book Two: Influence Of Democracy On Progress Of Opinion
]
[ De Tocqueville's Preface To The Second Part ]
[ Section I: Influence of Democracy on the Action of Intellect
][ Chapter I: Philosophical Method Among the Americans ]
[ Chapter II: Of The Principal Source Of Belief Among Democratic Nations ]
[ Chapter III: Why The Americans Display More Readiness And More Taste ]
[ Chapter IV: Why The Americans Have Never Been So Eager As The French ]
[ Chapter V: Of The Manner In Which Religion In The United States Avails ]
[ Chapter VI: Of The Progress Of Roman Catholicism In The United States ]
[ Chapter VII: Of The Cause Of A Leaning To Pantheism ]
[ Chapter VIII: The Principle Of Equality Suggests To The Americans ]
[ Chapter IX: The Example Of The Americans Does Not Prove ]
[ Chapter X: Why The Americans Are More Addicted To Practical ]
[ Chapter XI: Of The Spirit In Which The Americans Cultivate The Arts ]
[ Chapter XII: Why The Americans Raise Some Monuments So Insignificant ]
[ Chapter XIII: Literary Characteristics Of Democratic Ages ]
[ Chapter XIV: The Trade Of Literature ]
[ Chapter XV: The Study Of Greek And Latin Literature Peculiarly Useful ]
[ Chapter XVI: The Effect Of Democracy On Language ]
[ Chapter XVII: Of Some Of The Sources Of Poetry ]
[ Chapter XVIII: Of The Inflated Style Of American Writers And Orators ]
[ Chapter XIX: Some Observations On The Drama ]
[ Chapter XX: Characteristics Of Historians In Democratic Ages ]
[ Chapter XXI: Of Parliamentary Eloquence In The United States ]
[ Section 2: Influence of Democracy on the Feelings of Americans ]
[ Chapter I: Why Democratic Nations Show A More Ardent And Enduring Love ]
[ Chapter II: Of Individualism In Democratic Countries ]
[ Chapter III: Individualism Stronger ]
[ Chapter IV: That The Americans Combat The Effects Of Individualism ]
[ Chapter V: Of The Use Which The Americans Make Of Public Associations ]
[ Chapter VI: Of The Relation Between Public Associations And Newspapers ]
[ Chapter VII: Connection Of Civil And Political Associations ]
[ Chapter VIII: The Americans Combat Individualism ]
[ Chapter IX: That The Americans Apply The Principle Of Interest Rightly ]
[ Chapter X: Of The Taste For Physical Well-Being In America ]
[ Chapter XI: Peculiar Effects Of The Love Of Physical Gratifications ]
[ Chapter XII: Causes Of Fanatical Enthusiasm In Some Americans ]
[ Chapter XIII: Causes Of The Restless Spirit Of Americans ]
[ Chapter XIV: Taste For Physical Gratifications United In America ]
[ Chapter XV: That Religious Belief Sometimes Turns The Thoughts ]
[ Chapter XVI: That Excessive Care Of Worldly Welfare ]
[ Chapter XVII: That In Times Marked By Equality Of Conditions ]
[ Chapter XVIII: That Amongst The Americans All Honest Callings ]
[ Chapter XIX: That Almost All The Americans Follow Industrial Callings ]
[ Chapter XX: That Aristocracy May Be Engendered By Manufactures ]
[ Book Three: Influence Of Democracy On Manners, Properly So Called ]
[ Chapter I: That Manners Are Softened As Social Conditions Become ]
[ Chapter II: That Democracy Renders The Habitual Intercourse ]
[ Chapter III: Why The Americans Show So Little Sensitiveness ]
[ Chapter IV: Consequences Of The Three Preceding Chapters ]
[ Chapter V: How Democracy Affects the Relation Of Masters And Servants ]
[ Chapter VI: That Democratic Institutions And Manners Tend To Raise Rents ]
[ Chapter VII: Influence Of Democracy On Wages ]
[ Chapter VIII: Influence Of Democracy On Kindred ]
[ Chapter IX: Education Of Young Women In The United States ]
[ Chapter X: The Young Woman In The Character Of A Wife ]
[ Chapter XI: That The Equality Of Conditions Contributes ]
[ Chapter XII: How The Americans Understand The Equality Of The Sexes ]
[ Chapter XIII: That The Principle Of Equality Naturally Divides ]
[ Chapter XIV: Some Reflections On American Manners ]
[ Chapter XV: Of The Gravity Of The Americans ]
[ Chapter XVI: Why The National Vanity Of The Americans Is More Restless ]
[ Chapter XVII: That The Aspect Of Society In The United States ]
[ Chapter XVIII: Of Honor In The United States And In Democratic ]
[ Chapter XIX: Why So Many Ambitious Men And So Little Lofty Ambition ]
[ Chapter XX: The Trade Of Place-Hunting In Certain Democratic Countries ]
[ Chapter XXI: Why Great Revolutions Will Become More Rare ]
[ Chapter XXII: Why Democratic Nations Are Naturally Desirous Of Peace ]
[ Chapter XXIII: Which Is The Most Warlike And Most Revolutionary Class ]
[ Chapter XXIV: Causes Which Render Democratic Armies Weaker ]
[ Chapter XXV: Of Discipline In Democratic Armies ]
[ Chapter XXVI: Some Considerations On War In Democratic Communities ]
[ Book Four: Influence Of Democratic Opinions On Political Society ]
[ Chapter I: That Equality Naturally Gives Men A Taste For Freedom ]
[ Chapter II: That The Notions Of Democratic Nations On Government ]
[ Chapter III: That The Sentiments Of Democratic Nations Accord ]
[ Chapter IV: Of Certain Peculiar And Accidental Causes ]
[ Chapter V: That Amongst The European Nations Of Our Time ]
[ Chapter VI: What Sort Of Despotism Democratic Nations Have To Fear ]
[ Chapter VII: Continuation Of The Preceding Chapters ]
[ Chapter VIII: General Survey Of The Subject ]
[ Appendix to Parts I. and II. ]
[ Constitution Of The United States Of America ]
[ Section 1. All legislative Powers herein granted shall be vested ]
[ Section 2. The House of Representatives shall be composed ]
[ Section 3. The Senate of the United States shall be composed ]
[ Section 4. The Times, Places and Manner of holding Elections ]
[ Section 5. Each House shall be the Judge of the Elections ]
[ Section 6. The Senators and Representatives shall receive a Compensation ]
[ Section 7. All Bills for Raising Revenue shall originate in the House ]
[ Section 8. The Congress shall have Power to lay and collect Taxes ]
[ Section 9. The Migration or Importation of such Persons ]
[ Section 10. No State shall enter into any Treaty, Alliance ]
[ Section 1. The Executive Power shall be vested in a President ]
[ Section 2. The President shall be Commander in Chief of the Army ]
[ Section 3. He shall from time to time give to the Congress Information ]
[ Section 4. The President, Vice-President and all civil Officers ]
[ Section 1. The judicial Power of the United States shall be vested ]
[ Section 2. The judicial Power shall extend to all cases ]
[ Section 3. Treason against the United States shall consist ]
[ Section 1. Full Faith and Credit shall be given in each State ]
[ Section 2. The Citizens of each State shall be entitled ]
[ Section 3. New States may be admitted by the Congress into this Union ]
[ Section 4. The United States shall guarantee to every State ]
Book Two: Influence Of Democracy On Progress Of Opinion in The United States
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 perils therefore I have turned my chief attention, and believing that I had discovered them clearly, I have not had the cowardice to leave them untold.