'Equality of Condition Essay\r'

'In his book â€Å"democracy in America”, Alexis de Tocqueville provides a thorough study of the par of source as a distinctive indication of the elected America and discusses some of the consequences it might generate. He begins his writing by introducing the reader that during his stay in America the compargon of condition struck his watchfulness the most. In America, the democracy has reached an new(prenominal)(a)(prenominal)(prenominal) train that has nalways been seen before or see in either of the atomic add together 63an countries except that be slowly progressing towards it. This level of democracy has stimulated a association in which each soulfulnesss are leg tout ensembley understood to be accessiblely and policy-makingly equal. Despite all the benefits that the compare of condition beats to the party, it also tends to isolate nation from one and only(a) another and cut them off from the fond beliefs and values. When this form of isolat ion is transformed into an extreme form of individualisation, it grows self-seekingness and egoism among bulk.\r\nWhen these masses come unneurotic to form a bulk which in a democratic night club enjoys a great amount of force play, it might cause the despotism of absolute majority †de Tocqueville’s main charge. The concept of equality of condition is more(prenominal) complex than it first seems and a company based on this fact poses a panic to independence. De Tocqueville moots that â€Å"the influence of the equality of condition extends distant beyond the political character and the laws of the country and it has no less empire over the civil confederation than over the govern manpowert, it creates perspectives, gives birth to new senti custodyts, rigs novel springer and modifies whatever it does not produce” (â€Å"Democracy in America” Heffner ed., 26). It is fundamental to depict from this quote that a society based on the equal ity of condition, in a higher place all, creates the putting green opinion.\r\nIn an equal society, the fact that all the members are resembled enables them to trust and support the common public opinion and opinion. Furthermore, de Tocqueville argues that all the inhabitants of the democratic society are separately equal and independent to each other solely if one individual alone tends to blood the â€Å" aggregate of his fellow workers”, he will find himself insignifi throw outt and weak. indeed in a democratic society, the public has, as de Tocqueville calls, â€Å"a singular power” where it enforces certain opinions and infuses much(prenominal) opinions in the intellect of their mind.\r\nConsidering that in a democratic society, it is the majority that takes decisions, the public opinion will thus set out the law creating political omnipotence. Therefore, de Tocqueville claims that in the US the majority comes up with opinions and the individuals althoug h they develop their ad hominem thoughts go through to adopt those that the majority offers since they, alone, are unable to contrast them. This, in turn, discourages and in a way prohibits them from underdeveloped their consume gifted thoughts. Thus, the equality of condition that gives uprise to the majority opinion poses a great threat to the individual freedom of thought.\r\nDuring his stay in America, de Tocqueville sight that the American deal appeal besides to their own individual effort of its own understanding. He has found that in America the tie which tie ins generation is broken in and that nobody traces or cares virtually the ideas of their forefathers. In a society where e realbody is equal and classes tend to disappear, no macrocosm can consume an intellectual influence in the mind of another man since nobody looks at his fellows as being master. Therefore, de Tocqueville argues that in a society based on the equality of condition, not only the trust of one man on another is destroyed but also the intellectual pronouncement on any man.\r\nIn absence of much(prenominal) intellectual federal agency, commonwealth develop their own believes and judgments at bottom themselves different from the rest of the society. In the absence of an intellectual trustworthy authority capable of imposing affable beliefs and values, pot are left to seek the impartiality alone and when they fail to do so or such truth is against their personal judgment, they simply skip it. Thus, an equally conditioned society tends to isolate race from one another and cut them off from a common set of cordial beliefs and values.\r\nThis isolation that results from the equality of condition has dangerous consequences if it reaches extreme levels which de Tocqueville calls individualism. As a result of the individualism, the egoisticalness and the egoism of people will be born. The egoism and selfishness cause people in this society to develop a love for ma terial ecstasy a love for richness. They want to acquire everything for themselves notwithstanding if it is done in the expense of other people. Furthermore, correspond to de Tocqueville, these individuals do not change their character as they unite with each other or raise in number. In fact, they tend to enforce those selfish opinions but on a greater scale.\r\nThe majority they create will then act as one selfish individual and in a pure democratic society is given the power to make laws and take decisions on behalf of everybody. Therefore, such a majority consisting of egoist people who fulfill their ask and greed in the expense of the other people composing a minority creates the tyranny of majority. In a democratic society, the ultimate reason that the tyranny of majority occurs, is the individualism which separates people from each other and from the social values and beliefs and allows people to establish selfish opinions that hurt the other people. Therefore, de Tocqu eville argues that the establishment of â€Å"family”, â€Å" religion” and â€Å" nationalism” are necessary protections against such tyranny because they take aim people together and enforce on them social and clean values.\r\nFamilies bind people together and attach them with each other. Members of the family are taught to sacrifice some of their personal gratification for his ancestors and descendants. Therefore, the establishments of families attempt to fight the selfishness that individualism has created. The members of the family in their childhood are taught morals and social values. The venerable in the family can influence the young ones because they are perceived to do some intellectual authority. Therefore, the family brings people close to each other, where one member of the family cares about the others, and to the social values reduceing the isolation. Patriotism also fights the selfishness and brings people together. De Tocqueville sees na tionalism as one citizen making a personal sacrifice for the greater welfare of the public.\r\nHe also argues that in a patriotic society people do not fail to reliably support each other. A patriotic person believes that it is his duty to make himself useful to other fellow citizens. Therefore, patriotism also creates a strong biotic partnership where the members care about one another. It breaks the isolation and thus the individualism that the equality of condition creates. Religion also brings people close to each other and to the social and moral values. De Tocqueville argues that every religion places the object of men’s desire above any financial officer in the earth. Every religion imposes duties on men towards his fellow citizens and draws him away from the contemplation of himself.\r\nFurthermore, the main concern of religion is to purify and restrict the excessive and scoop shovel taste for well being which men in the periods of equality wishes. Man cannot be cured by the love of the riches but they may be persuaded to enrich themselves by none but secure means (â€Å"Democracy in America” Heffner ed., 152). Thus, religion serves as a superior intellectual authority which brings people together to each other and also enforces on them moral values that people dwell to. In essence it fights both the isolation and the selfishness of people. The â€Å"family”, â€Å"patriotism” and â€Å"religion” fulfill the absence of a superior intellectual authority, create a strong union and bring people close to the social and moral values which lack in an egalitarian society.\r\nDe Tocqueville emphasizes the richness of associations in a democratic society. In his opinion an association consists of a group people united by a common interest and who assort to promote their ideas in a certain manner. Simply, associations happen a group of people with divergent minds towards achieving a specific end. In order for an as sociation to go it has to have the liberty to create an opinion and the freedom to meet which a democratic society grants to them. De Tocqueville distinguishes amid two types of associations; the political association and the civil association. The political association besides having the two liberties mentioned above, they also have the liberty to unite into electoral bodies and chose their representatives. A political association acts as a government deep down a government where the delegates of the association represent the collective force of their party just like the delegates of the majority.\r\nThe polite associations include a large number of organizations offset from building inns, churches, schools and hospitals. While the political associations have one major goal that they try to achieve by electing delegates; the civic associations are less formal, include a larger number and attempt to improve the social life in the society. Political associations are sometimes used to organize revolutions like those in Europe whereas the civic associations are voluntarily created and peaceful in their nature. The political associations are similar to the political parties forthwith who elect their delegates and compete for offices. The civic associations are very similar to the interest groups where a group of people form an organization and express their point of sight in certain issues and attempt to influence those who already occupy offices. The civic associations like the interest groups include a greater variety of interests.\r\nDe Tocqueville goes further to argue that the political and civic associations are necessary to proceed an active community life in a democratic society. De Tocqueville argues that in a democratic society all the citizens are independent and feeble and they, alone, cannot do anything and cannot oblige another person to assist them. They all become powerless if they do not watch to help each other voluntarily. If they do not form associations, which are simply artificial ship canal of binding people, they might preserve their wealth but their independence as well as their purification will be in jeopardy. Furthermore, in a democratic society, as I have discussed earlier, people tend to get isolated from tone another. Therefore, since civic associations are very diverse, they are necessary to voluntarily bring people together and create ties among them.\r\nThus, they are crucial to retain an active sense of community life. The political and civic associations are very grievous in a democratic society in the attempt to avoid the tyranny of the majority. The minorities can create political associations and elect their delegates in order to at once fight the oppressive laws created by the majority. The civic associations can also be used by minorities to create a larger group and then together voice their opinion. The associations are also used to bring people together and avoid the creation of indiv idualism which is very likely in a society based on the equality of condition. Political and civic associations are, therefore, necessary schools for democracy because they teach us how to avoid the tyranny of majority in advanced democracies.\r\nDe Tocqueville’s philosophy is still relevant for our own time. Nowadays, the political and civic associations play a very important role in creating communities. As countries become more democratic, the number of associations in those countries increases because people as individuals become powerless and they are unable to defend their beliefs on their own. Today, the political and civic associations are very common and much more active that they have ever been. The political and civic associations enable people to unite and become active members of the society. As people assemble different organizations, they agree to help and support other fellow citizens. People unite and form associations because they have strong feelings for a cause they fight although such a cause might not presently affect them. Therefore, political and civic associations tend to clear and remove selfishness from the people. The existence of a large number of associations is the reason why we have not experienced the tyranny of majority although a number of countries have reached advanced levels of democracy.\r\n'