Tocqueville' s Unique Interpretation of Democracy :democracy as “état social”

本文探讨了托克维尔考察民主的独特视角:作为一种"社会状况"的民主。本文首先阐明托克维尔为何要从"社会"的视角考察民主,并试图说明,正是由于托克维尔从这一独特的视角考察民主,他笔下的民主才具有了极为丰富的意涵:民主不仅是一种政制,它还是一种观念、情感、民情。通过分析作为一种观念和情感的民主,托克维尔论证了民主是符合人的自然的,因而是正义的,但同时,由于民主形塑了一种特殊的人的类型——现代个体,而这种个体身上有着某些不利于保持自由的倾向,因而需要对现代个体进行教育,以便使得民主与自由能携手并进。

This paper examines the unique perspective of Tocqueville with which he interpreted democracy :the état social .Firstly this paper explains why Tocqueville interpreted democracy from this perspective , then it tries to agrue that the richness of the interpretation of democracy by Tocqueville dues mainly to this unique perspective : Tocqueville described and analyzed a democracy not only as political regime , but as idea , emotion and mores.By analyzing democracy as idea and emotion, Tocqueville argued that democracy accorded with the nature of human being , that is why democracy is justical.But since democracy shaped a new human type — the modern indiviual, and modern individual showed some characteristics against liberty , in order to harmonize democracy and liberty , modern individual should be educated and should learn how to keep free .

倪玉珍

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