The English Perspective In Tocqueville’s Academic Research

Alexis de Tocqueville is one of the most important ideologists in 19th century France. His De la democratie en Amerique and L’Ancien Regime et la Revolution are both classics. Because both of his two works are too prestigious, the scholars usually study Tocqueville on the background of America and France.In fact, Tocqueville also has important relationship with England. Tocqueville himself once said "England has become intellectually my second country" Tocqueville had travelled to England for three times, and left rich notes. On the other hand, Tocqueville maintained close contact with the English ideologists, and they played an extremely important role in the construction of Tocqueville’s political thoughts. Tocqueville’s emphasis on England is also reflected in his works. Although he never published any works which special on England throughout his life, England are both pivotal object on comparative study in his two representative works. The British America emerges as English who get rid of the aristocracy in De la democratie en Amerique. And in order to explain the reason of French Revolution, Tocqueville used so many comparative researches between England and France in the L’Ancien Regime et la Revolution.Tocqueville showed strong interest over England in his early years. In 1928 the twenty three-year old Tocqueville sent a long letter named Reflection on English history to his friend Beaumont. This letter told Tocqueville’s acknowledge and basic judgement on the political and social history of England. Before the complement of De la democratie en Amerique in 1933, Tocqueville decided to investigate England which had just experienced the first parliamentary reform. Tocqueville perceived the gradualism in English history in this trip. Tocqueville traveled to England again in 1835. In addition to London, he also went to Manchester, Birmingham and Ireland. This time he focused on the poor situation, centralization and the industrial revolution in England. The "liberty" in local decentralization, economic activities and religious tolerance had left Tocqueville a deep impression. In order to write L’Ancien Regime et la Revolution, Tocqueville went to England for third time. Though he saw the English aristocracy had become more solid on the surface, he still believed the trend of decline is unstoppable. But he thought the England would take a moderate reformist road.The comparison between England and France is always a key point in Tocqueville’s academic research. A few questions are the most prominent:aristocracy, centralization, legal and religious. The high degree of openness of the aristocracy, the reservation of land and the participation of local self-government of nobles, are the reasons of the long continuation of English aristocracy. And they made the aristocracy still an important power against tyranny. On the contrary, the French aristocracy became a caste because of its closeness. Besides, they separated themselves from land and also lost the local dominion. So the French aristocracy was destroyed faster. However, Tocqueville thought the English aristocracy would be destroyed at last. In the study of centralization, Tocqueville noted that the England had a high degree of government centralization but almost none of administration centralization, while the France had high of both. This is the critical point of the difference of "liberty" between England and France. In the judicial issues, Tocqueville thought the English law was seemingly chaotic but had no major defects. And the England used common law and the jury, which is more conductive to the cultivation of good mood. However, France adopted statutes and abolished the jury system. It appeared to be more sophisticated, but it was weakness when private against the state. Moreover, it made people lost the habit of autonomy, which actually strengthen the authoritarian power of the country. On the religious situation, Tocqueville saw that the religions in England were the partners of liberty because of religious tolerance. While in the case of long-term lack of religious freedom, the religion and liberty were rivals to each other in France.There are two reasons why England had great influence on Tocqueville. First, the English history process to modern democracy is basically gradually and gentle. Tocqueville did not opposed to the French revolution, but he was seeking a peaceful revolution if possible. So the English experience is worth learning. Second, the so called "born free" English always show their value and maintenance about liberty in the course of history. This shares the same sense with Tocqueville who loved liberty so much. From all the observations and studies on England, Tocqueville looked for how the English people maintain liberty and against despotism. This appreciation also caused some controversy:"liberty:aristocracy of democracy". In fact, this question can precisely be dissolved in his English perspective. Tocqueville had insisted that the decline of the English aristocracy is irresistible. So he couldn’t defend the liberty of aristocracy. What Tocqueville concern is how English put the available factor from the liberty of aristocracy to the liberty of equality.In the era of transformation, the thoughts of Tocqueville also show the complexity as "between tradition and reform". But this kind of complexity is the charm of thinkers, and also the value of research.