Research On Tocqueville’s Ideology Of Power Restriction

In the coming times of democracy is inevitable, as the explorers of freedom anddefenders of democracy in the19th century, Alexis de Tocqueville exhausted his whole lifethinking about how to achieve liberty and democracy. In order to achieve this goal of freedomand democracy, we must limit power and prevent tyranny. Therefore, how to effectively limitthe power of the state and protect civil liberties has become the problem that Tocquevilleconcerned. Though a few scholars hackle and interpret the core content of Tocqueville’sideology of power restriction from the constitutional point in a certain degree, most scholarsfocused on the mode of Tocqueville’s "society constraints power". However, the interpretationof content about formation condition、theoretical basis、limitation mode and theoretical valueof Tocqueville’s ideology of power restriction is not comprehensive enough. Therefore, thispaper attempts to further excavate the main content of Tocqueville’s ideology of powerrestriction on the basis of previous studies, drawing the nutritional value of Tocqueville’sideology of power restriction to enrich the achievements of theoretical studies of Tocqueville’sideology constitutional democracy.This paper has four parts besides the introduction and acknowledgments, and its maincontents are as follows:The first part, analysis of the conditions about formation of Tocqueville’s ideology ofpower restriction. This part mainly hackles the ideological origins and practical origins whichTocqueville’s ideology of power restriction produces. And analyzes the formation ofTocqueville’s ideology of power restriction in the intellectual influences of Pascal,Montesquieu, Rousseau, Constant, Guizot and other predecessor thinkers and Tocqueville’shistorical background and practical experience of politics.The second part, interpretation of the theoretical basis of Tocqueville’s ideology of powerrestriction. This part mainly analyzes the theoretical basis and practical basis of Tocqueville’sideology of power restriction, sorts out the internal logical connection between Nakamichiliberalism of constitutional theory and ideology of power restriction, ideology of powerrestriction and freedom、democracy. Nakamichi liberalism of constitutional theory is thetheoretical basis of Tocqueville’s ideology of power restriction, democracy is the basicunderlying of Tocqueville’s ideology of power restriction, liberal is the ultimate valuablepursuit of Tocqueville’s ideology of power restriction, the tension of liberal and democracy is realistic basis of Tocqueville’s ideology of power restriction.The third part, interpretation of the core ideas of Tocqueville’s ideology of powerrestriction—a mode of power restriction under the theory of constitutional democracy. First,this part explores the power restriction mode under the theory of constitutional democracy ofTocqueville’s ideology of power restriction which is on the basis of disadvantage of the oldpattern of power restriction, then focuses on the core substance of mode of power restriction:emphasizing how to construct mode of power restriction combining "society restricts power "and "power restricts power " under the legal framework which is regarded the Constitution asthe core.The fourth part, conclusion. Firstly, this part summarizes the outline the Tocqueville’sideology of power restriction: constructing a mode of power restriction that democracy is thefundamental starting point and liberal is the ultimate valuable pursuit. This mode of powerrestriction emphasizes the basic function of "Power restricts power" and the central role of"society restricts power" under the legal framework. Secondly, this part interprets thetheoretical value of Tocqueville’s ideology of power restriction. And this part emphasizes thetheoretical contribution ideological of Tocqueville’s ideology of power restriction and itsinfluence on later thinkers as well as the position in the system of Tocqueville’s thought ofconstitutional democracy. In a word, Tocqueville’s ideology of power restriction has importanttheoretical value, and it is worth exploring the further valuable enlightenments ofTocqueville’s ideology of power restriction.