Boats Against the Current : Tocqueville on Fatalism and Inequality in a Democratic Age
-
-
- Email us at repoteam@lib.msu.edu
- Report accessibility issue
In this dissertation, I examine the system of Alexis de Tocqueville’s thought. I explain his definition of democracy, the problem of “democratic despotism” that potentially results from this definition, and Tocqueville’s strategy for avoiding this outcome through his discussion of freedom and religion in colonial New England. Overall, I conclude that Tocqueville’s thought is characterized by a concern for teaching democratic citizens to believe in a moderate balance concerning what is subject to human control. In other words, I argue that he encourages a middle ground between extreme fatalism on the one hand, and an excessive belief in human agency or activism on the other. Finally, I show how Tocqueville applies this teaching in his discussion of the role of women and racism.
Read
- In Collections
-
Electronic Theses & Dissertations
- Copyright Status
- Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International
- Material Type
-
Theses
- Authors
-
Spiegler, Jonathan
- Thesis Advisors
-
Sebell, Dustin
- Committee Members
-
Sebell, Dustin
Melzer, Arthur
Rodríguez, Raúl
Herold, Aaron
Smidt, Corwin
- Date Published
-
2024
- Subjects
-
Philosophy
Political science
America
- Program of Study
-
Political Science - Doctor of Philosophy
- Degree Level
-
Doctoral
- Language
-
English
- Pages
- 174 pages
- Embargo End Date
-
March 22nd, 2026
- Permalink
- https://doi.org/doi:10.25335/ew1h-aw08
This item is not available to view or download until March 22nd, 2026. To request a copy, contact ill@lib.msu.edu.