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.
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