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Alexis de Tocqueville

Quote of Alexis de Tocqueville - The surface of American society is...


Biography - Alexis de Tocqueville:

French diplomat, political scientist and historian.
Born: 1805 - Died: 1859
Period:
19th century
Place of birth: France
France

The surface of American society is covered with a layer of democratic paint, but from time to time one can see the old aristocratic colours breaking through.



See also 

See also...






Quotes for: society


Quotes

Quotes for: society


Article IV – Liberty consists of doing anything which does not harm others: thus, the exercise of the natural rights of each man has only those borders which assure other members of the society the enjoyment of these same rights. These borders can be determined only by the law.





The saddest aspect of life right now is that science gathers knowledge faster than society gathers wisdom.





Society is composed of two great classes those who have more dinners than appetite, and those who have more appetite than dinners.





Article V – The law has the right to forbid only actions harmful to society. Anything which is not forbidden by the law cannot be impeded, and no one can be constrained to do what it does not order.





Article XV – The society has the right of requesting account from any public agent of its administration.





Article XVI – Any society in which the guarantee of rights is not assured, nor the separation of powers determined, has no Constitution.











Quotes for: Democracy


Quotes

Quotes for: Democracy


Amongst democratic nations, each new generation is a new people.





Citizens of the democratic societies should undertake a course of intellectual self defense to protect themselves from manipulation and control.





The real democratic progress is not to lower the level of the elite toward that of the crowd, but to raise that of the crowd toward the elite.





My political ideal is democracy. Let every man be respected as an individual and no man idolized.





What is most important for democracy is not that great fortunes should not exist, but that great fortunes should not remain in the same hands. In that way there are rich men, but they do not form a class.





Democracy and socialism have nothing in common but one word, equality. But notice the difference: while democracy seeks equality in liberty, socialism seeks equality in restraint and servitude.











Quotes

Alexis de Tocqueville also said...


Amongst democratic nations, each new generation is a new people.





When the past no longer illuminates the future, the spirit walks in darkness.





The nations of our time cannot prevent the conditions of men from becoming equal; but it depends upon themselves whether the principle of equality is to lead them to servitude or freedom, to knowledge or barbarism, to prosperity or to wretchedness.





Nations do not grow old in the same way that men do. Each generation born within the nation is like a new people.





What is most important for democracy is not that great fortunes should not exist, but that great fortunes should not remain in the same hands. In that way there are rich men, but they do not form a class.





The power of the periodical press is second only to that of the people.












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