Comments And Analysis On Tocqueville Democratic Thought

Alexis De Tocqueville(1805-1859),a famous historian and politician of France,is famous for studying American democracy and the French revolution.The book named "Democracy in America" which he wrote is the first academic work about the democracy system of America.In the book,his profound analysis to the American democratic system made a great influence on the national democratic revolution.And today,it also has many lessons on countries'democracy transformation and development.Especially,it has impact on China's democratic development and harmonious society construction.This article mainly studies Tocqueville's thought from the following aspects:In the first part,it is a brief introduction about Tocqueville's life and political practice.Based on introducing the life and political practice,let us understand the democratic life,the background of the times and political achievements about his theory.In the second part,it mainly elaborates the background and theoretical origin of Tocqueville's democratic thought.Firstly,analyze the formation of Tocqueville's democratic thought through dimensions about family and society.Secondly,around Pascale,Montesquieu,and other people's thought,explores the theoretical origin of Tocqueville's democratic thought further,so as to pave the way for the following contents.In the third part,there is the main content of Tocqueville's democratic thought,including the inevitability of democracy,the basic connotation of democracy,the blind instinct of democracy and the surpassing of democratic instinct.First of all,it reveals the inevitable decline of the aristocratic society and points out the irresistible trend of democracy development.Then,explains the basic meaning of democracy,such as identity equality,people's sovereignty,the rule of majority and social democracy.And it analysis the tyranny of majority and individualism.Finally,from the three aspects of township freedom,association freedom and republication freedom to beyond the blind instinct of democracy.In the fourth part,it evaluates Tocqueville's democratic thought.With analyzing Tocqueville's democratic thought,we can know some historical contributions,including establishing the core status of equality in democratic society,exploring the majority tyranny and individualism,which provides a theoretical basis for dialectical treatment of democracy,putting forward the "freedom normative democracy" mechanism to promote the process of democratization.At the same time,there is some certain rationality in Tocqueville's democratic thought,such as the definition of democracy,the legitimacy and danger of democracy and the role of freedom in eliminating the disadvantages of democracy.At last,Tocqueville's democratic thought also exists some limitations:the fuzzy of concept of"democracy" and "equality",the narrowness of "individualism" and conflictive position of democracy.The fifth part,the role of this part explores the significance of Tocqueville's democratic thought towards China's political practice.The study of Tocqueville's democratic thought is helpful to Firm our confidence in democratic development;enlighten us to pay attention to identity equality and Safeguard social fairness and justice;Guard against the tyranny of the majority and the "collective individualism" and strengthen the cultivation of civic spirit;Pay attention to "free standard democracy"and promote the construction of social democracy.