Tocqueville on the Political and Intellectual Effects of theTyranny of the Majority Open Access

Abstract

This thesis examines the greatest problem that Tocqueville identified in modern democracy: the tyranny of the majority. We examine the powers Tocqueville attributes to the majority, how it influences the law, and its power over the mind. In the first chapter we examine the majority's dominance over the legislature, the effects of political parties on politics, and the "moral empire" of the majority. In the second chapter we analyze how public opinion affects the mind, and its influence on natural science, the arts, and language. Finally, we examine the modern attachment to equality as opposed to freedom, and explore the three human affects the love of equality engenders: individualism, materialism, and the love of well-being.

Table of Contents

Introduction 1

Chapter 1 11

Chapter 2 25

Chapter 3 40

Conclusion 55

About this Honors Thesis

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School	Emory College
Department	Philosophy
Degree	BA
Submission	Honors Thesis
Language	English
Research Field	Political Science, General History, United States
Keyword	tocqueville mild despotism of the majority tyranny of the majority equality democracy
Committee Chair / Thesis Advisor	Hartle, Ann, Emory University
Committee Members	Owen, Judd, Emory University Bartlett, Robert, Emory University

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