Although Tocqueville’s text is commonly regarded as a record of observations into America’s early political and common life, the text’s importance extends far beyond this exclusive function. Democracy in America is, in and of itself, an expression of political tenets and ideas. Thus, while Tocqueville does celebrate what the Americans have accomplished, and while he remarks in wonder about the order and equality of things, it was his purpose to find “lessons from which we could profit” (Tocqueville, 12). This document a summary of what these lessons are. In short, it discusses Tocqueville’s political philosophy as recorded in Democracy in America. It is useful for students looking to extract the main ideas of a largely overwhelming text.
|
