Master of American History and Government

Ashland University

AHG 510A:

Great American Texts: Alexis de Tocqueville, Democracy in America

Sunday, June 22 to Friday, June 27, 2008

Instructor: David Foster

Course Description:

Alexis de Tocqueville's Democracy in America is the best study of America to be written by a foreigner. It examines government, religion, the races, private associations, literature, the family, and much else, all the while contrasting democratic America with old aristocratic Europe. This course will examine as much of the book as we can, focusing especially on Tocqueville's account of the love of equality (and its dangers) and his prescriptions for the preservation of liberty.

Learning Objectives:

This course has two main objectives: to read seriously a text that is important for understanding American history and government; to understand Tocqueville's reflections on democracy in America. More specifically, the course intends to improve students' familiarity with and understanding of:

• How to study thoroughly and comprehensively a complex book of social and political analysis.
• The main parts and overall thematic structure of Democracy in America.
• Tocqueville's analysis of the "social state" and government in America and of their interrelation.
• Tocqueville's analysis of human nature and of the effect on human beings (in their government, opinions, sentiments, and mores) of "equality of condition" and the love of equality. This will include the impact of equality on, among other things, the family, religion, ambition, literature, war, oratory.
• The concepts of the sovereignty of the people, administrative decentralization, tyranny of the majority, self-interest well understood, individualism, mild despotism.
• The contrast between American democracy and European aristocracy.
• Tocqueville's analysis of the advantages and dangers of democracy as it is found in America, and his suggestions for safeguarding liberty and strength of soul in conditions of equality.

Course Requirements:

A short seminar paper and a final examination. Grades will be assigned in the following way:

• Contribution to in-class discussions: 25%
• Seminar paper: 25% (This will be due during the week; instructions for it will be given in the first meeting of the course.)
• Final examination: 50%

Students auditing the course as a part of a Teaching American History Grant program must complete the readings and fully participate in the seminars during the week.

• Alexis de Tocqueville, Democracy in America, translated, edited, and with an introduction by Harvey C. Mansfield and Delba Winthrop. ISBN-13: 978-0226805368 (paperback); or ISBN-13: 978-0226805320 (hardcover)

Sunday, June 22

4:30 - 6:00pm: Introduction & Session 1

Topic: Tocqueville's (AT's) reasons for writing about democracy in America and the general purpose and plan of the work; the beginning point(s) of his analysis.

Focus: What is AT's intention in writing his book? What does it mean to describe equality of conditions as a "providential fact"? What does this reveal about AT's attitude towards his theme? What does AT mean by the "point of departure"? Why is knowledge of this important for understanding democracy in America? What are the main topics to be covered in the two Volumes of DA and in the two parts of Volume I?

Readings:

• Vol. I, Introduction and part 1, chapters 1-2 (pp. 3-45)
• Vol. I, part 2 beginning (p. 165)
• Vol. II, "Notice" (pp. 399-400)

7:30 - 9:00pm: Session 2 – Ashbrook Lecture (Attendance Required)

Monday, June 23

9:00 - 10:30am: Session 3

Topic: Basic Principles of AT's Analysis: Social State; Sovereignty of the People; State, County, and Town

Focus: What does AT mean by "social state" and what is the social state of the Americans? In what way is the social state related to political principles and politics? That is, which comes first or which is the real cause of the other? How does the law of inheritance in America work to produce social and even intellectual equality? What are the two political alternatives that are (almost) equally possible on the basis of equality? What does it mean to say that sovereignty of the people "is always more or less at the foundation of almost all human institutions," though this fact is almost always buried or hidden in darkness? Why is the township such an important part of AT's analysis of American government? What is the basic principle, "universally" accepted in the United States, that governs the relation between the individual and the group? Finally, what is the distinction between governmental centralization and administrative centralization, and what is its importance?

Readings:

• Vol I, part 1, chapters 3-5 (pp. 45-93)

10:50am - 12:20pm: Session 4

Topic: The Federal System in America, its Strengths and Weaknesses

Focus: What is the form of the federal government? How, precisely, does it differ from a centralized government? What are the main advantages and dangers inherent in this form of government? Why has federalism proved so successful in America?

Readings:

• Vol I, part 1, chapter 8, especially pages 130-161

4:30 - 6:00pm: Session 5

Topic: Political parties and their instruments

Focus: What is the new theme begun in Volume I, part 2? What is a political party and how are the two great parties that are found in all free societies present in American politics? How does freedom of the press in America favor democracy rather than aristocracy? Why is the freedom to associate (i.e., to form political parties) safe in America (and England) whereas it is dangerous in France?

Readings:

• Vol I, part 2, chapters 1-4

Tuesday, June 24

9:00 - 10:30am: Session 6

Topic: The government of democracy in America and its "real advantages"

Focus: In terms of what considerations does AT analyze the government of democracy? For example, what is the relative importance of wealth, passion, and judgment? Are the virtues and vices of democracy in domestic matters more or less significant than the virtues and vices evident in things relating to external affairs? What does the superiority of aristocracy to democracy in external affairs imply for the prospects of democracy in America and in other locations? In considering the real advantages of democracy in America, how does AT develop the contrast between the good of the greatest number, on the one hand, and the good of the few and the development of virtue, on the other? What are the two greatest advantages that America derives from democratic government?

Readings:

• Vol I, part 2, chapters 5-6

10:50am - 12:20pm: Session 7

Topic: The omnipotence and tyranny of the majority in the United States

Focus: What are AT's proofs that the majority is in fact omnipotent in America? What is the difference between omnipotence of the majority and tyranny of the majority, and in what sense is there a danger of tyranny in America? How does the omnipotence of the majority prevent freedom of discussion and thought or independence and freedom of mind? What effect does this have on the souls of Americans? Can AT be serious when he says that "there is no freedom of mind in America"? Is his argument (in the last section of chapter 7) that the greatest danger from the omnipotence of the majority is that it will drive minorities to despair, forcing them to appeal to force, persuasive?

Readings:

• Vol I, part 2, chapters 7-8

4:30 - 6:00pm: Session 8

Topic: The causes that maintain democracy in America

Focus: What are the main contributions of physical setting, laws, and mores to maintaining democracy in America? What are mores? How does AT establish that laws and mores are more important for maintaining democracy than physical setting? Why is religion such an important part of AT's discussion, and why is religion so strong in America (while in Europe it has "lost its empire over souls")? What is the significance (for America, Europe, and even elsewhere) of AT's argument concerning the importance of laws and mores in maintaining democracy?

Readings:

• Vol I, part 2, chapter 9

Wednesday, June 25

9:00 - 10:30am:
Session 9

Topic: Influence of democracy on the mind and on opinions

Focus: How does AT link the intellectual life of a people to its social and political state? How does equality tend to amplify or strengthen the influence of majority opinion? Why are "dogmatic beliefs", especially in religion, so important? According to AT, what kind of "religion" does democracy need, and for what purposes?

Readings:

• Vol. II, "Notice," and part 1, chapters 1-9 (pp. 399-433). Concentrate on chapters 1-3, 5, 7, and 8.

10:50am - 12:20pm:
Session 10

Topic: Influence of democracy on the mind and opinions: the sciences and arts

Focus: Consider further how the intellectual life and habits of Americans (and democratic peoples more generally) are related to the social and political state. What are the main intellectual virtues and vices of Americans (and democrats)? What does AT propose to support the former and correct the latter?

Readings:

• Vol. II, part 1, chapters 10-17 (pp. 433-476). Concentrate on chapters 10, 11, 13-17, and 20.

4:30 - 6:00pm:
Session 11

Topic: Influence of democracy on the sentiments: Individualism and how it is combated in America

Focus: What does AT mean by individualism and how does it arise from equality? Why is individualism bad? How do the Americans "combat" individualism?

Readings:

• Vol. II, part 2, chapters 1-9 (pp. 479-506)

Thursday, June 26

9:00 - 10:30am:
Session 12

Topic: The taste for material well-being: its sources, consequences, and possible remedy

Focus: How does the social state of democracy (equality) favor and foster the love for material well-being? What dangers does this love hold for political life and for the souls of individuals in democracy? What can and must be done to counteract or correct for these dangers? Looking back over the argument of Volume II, Part 2, what are the prospects for maintaining strength of soul in democratic men?

Readings:

• Vol. II, part 2, chapters 10-20 (pp. 506-532), especially chapters 10-13, 15-17.

10:50am - 12:20pm:
Session 13

Topic: The Democratic Family

Focus: How does democracy alter relations within the family? What is the position of women in American life and what contribution does AT think they make to American society? What do the chapters on the family teach us about AT's understanding of the importance and proper place in human life of sentiments and nature (as opposed to convention)?

Readings:

• Vol. II, part 3, chapters 1-13 (pp. 535-578), especially chapters 8-12

4:30 - 6:00pm:
Session 14

Topic: Influence of democracy on mores: manners, honor, ambition, and war in America

Focus: Chapters 14-17: How would you compare the most important quality of democratic manners with the most important quality of aristocratic manners? How does equality influence the manners of individuals and why does it have the effect of making American society at once agitated and monotonous? How important are conventions or forms (manners) for strengthening the human character and for making human beings attractive? Chapters 18-26: Why does equality threaten to undermine a healthy sense of pride or ambition? How does AT propose to nourish a sense of pride or ambition while also keeping it within proper limits?

Readings:

• Vol. II, part 3, chapters 14-26 (pp. 578-635)

Friday, June 27

9:00 - 10:30am:
Session 15

Topic: Tocqueville's conclusion: mild despotism

Focus: What does AT mean by mild despotism? Why are democracies threatened with it and what can be done to prevent or ameliorate it?

Readings:

• Vol. II, part 4 (pp. 639-676)

10:50am - 12:20pm:
Session 16 – Session Review and General Discussion

1:30 - 3:00pm:
Session 17 – Final Examination