Sum Blog 1

Alexis De Tocqueville was a unique minded man who held great sustainable foresight, contributing several visions of outcome toward the future as he lived his life among the transitional period, late in the French Revolution while also watching a young United States develop their democratic legs. This has been a particularly difficult reading to understand for me in regard to all of the smaller ideas he uses in contribution to those on the larger scale. For example, Egoism; a doctrine that individual self-interest is the actual motive of all conscious action, then Individualism; the belief that the needs of each person are more important than the needs of the whole society or group. These two characteristics were used to support his skepticism of a democratic society. Coming from an Aristocratic age where “people are almost always closely involved with something outside themselves” (Tocqueville, 1835-40/1969:507) to the Democratic age where “the duties of each to all are much clearer but devoted service to any individual much rarer” (Tocqueville, 1835-40/1969:507). I think that he has all the bases covered, and to have predicted the consequences of producing introverted societies from way back then is pretty outstanding. “I fear that the mind may keep folding itself up in a narrower compass forever without producing new ideas, that men will wear themselves out in trivial, lonely, futile activity, and that for all its constant agitation humanity will take no advance.” (Tocqueville, 1835-40/1969:645) Now whether or not this shift would be a sole result of a Democratic society, I believe is debatable. I do think that it holds some truth though. If a group of people are spoken for by one person as a representation of common interest, after a while wouldn’t it be easier for people to follow rather than being active as they previously were? Though Democracy can be helpful to encourage and grow support for new ideas on a small stage, it is a very large uphill climb to carry those ideas/movements etc. to a grander place of recognition facing opposition from those in power already. Change is good, what good is a society that cultivates stagnation?

 

 

Every part has its purpose but when complete, will it help us or hurt us?

 

"Egoism." Merriam-Webster.com. Merriam-Webster, n.d. Web. 16 Sept. 2013. <http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/egoism>.

"Individualism." Merriam-Webster.com. Merriam-Webster, n.d. Web. 16 Sept. 2013. <http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/individualism>.