One of France's leading and most controversial political thinkers explores the central themes of Tocqueville's writings: the democratic revolution and the modern passion for equality. What becomes of people when they are overcome by this passion and how does it transform the contents of life? Pierre Manent's analysis concludes that the growth of state power and the homogenization of society are two primary consequences of equalizing conditions. The author shows the contemporary relevance of Tocqueville's teaching: to love democracy well, one must love it moderately. Manent examines the prophetic nature of Tocqueville's writings with breadth, clarity, and depth. His findings are both timely and highly relevant as people in Eastern Europe and around the world are grappling with the fragile, complicated, and frequently contradictory nature of democracy. This book is essential reading for students and scholars of political theory and political philosophy, as well as general readers interested in the nature of modern democracy.
Pierre Manent, former editor of the journal Commentaire and assistant to Raymond Aron, earned an advanced degree in philosophy at the Ecole Normal Superieure. He is currently Director of Studies at the Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales and co-editor of the journal La Pense Politique.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1 Preface Chapter 2 Introduction Chapter 3 The Definition of Democracy Chapter 4 Democracy and Aristocracy Chapter 5 The Force of Democratic Equality Chapter 6 The Social Power Chapter 7 The Mildness of Democracy Chapter 8 Democratic Man Chapter 9 Democracy and the Nature of Man Chapter 10 Democracy and Religion Chapter 11 Democracy and Democratic Revolution Chapter 12 Conclusion