How Are Liberty And Greatness Possible In Democratic Time

This dissertation is focused on the study of Tocqueville's New Science of Politics, and attempts to illustrate Tocqueville's original interpretation and penetrated sight of the conceptions of democracy, equality, liberty, politics, modernity and the relationships between religion and liberty, politics and liberty, manners( mores) and law, and so on.The main conclusion of this dissertation is that, Tocqueville is above all a political man, precisely speaking, a legislator(potential) and a statesman ( realistic), and then a historian or a writer; Tocqueville belongs to the tradition of classical political philosophy which has Plato, Rousseau as its representatives , and aspires after limited liberty and moral politics, excellence ,greatness ,glory and the perfection of the soul of man; Tocqueville's insight is the insight of a potential legislator, which is pre-modern and political, and transcends the classification and contradiction of factions of modern ideology .To speak with more details, this dissertation will unfold as follows:In the introduction, I will scan the given studies on Tocqueville, point out the main themes of Tocqueville's works, and show the key points, the originality and the methodology of my dissertation.In the first chapter, I will inquiry the insight and intention of Tocqueville, mainly by close reading of Democracy in America and Social Contract.In the second chapter, I will testify that Tocqueville had set up a new science of politics, that is, the political science of democracy, and point out its key themes, basic methodology and analytical frame.In the third chapter, I will show how Tocqueville understands democracy and equality, and his perspectives and attitudes on aristocracy and democracy, and his diagnoses of democracy. In the fourth chapter, I will show how Tocqueville understands liberty, and what means and tools he uses to cure the evils or shortages of democracy.In the last chapter, I will display the differences between Tocqueville and modern liberalism, and the connection between Tocqueville and classical political philosophy.