Alexis de Tocqueville Quotes About Slavery

Quotes about: Slavery

• There is in fact a manly and legitimate passion for equality that spurs all men to wish to be strong and esteemed. This passion tends to elevate the lesser to the rank of the greater. But one also finds in the human heart a depraved taste for equality, which impels the weak to want to bring the strong down to their level, and which reduces men to preferring equality in servitude to inequality in freedom.

  Alexis de Tocqueville

  Freedom, Equality, America

  "Democracy in America". Book by Alexis de Tocqueville. Chapter III, Part I, 1835.

• As for me, I am deeply a democrat; this is why I am in no way a socialist. Democracy and socialism cannot go together. You can't have it both ways. Socialism is a new form of slavery.

  Alexis de Tocqueville

  Philosophy, Political, Together

  Notes for a Speech on Socialism, 1848.

• Americans are so enamored of equality that they would rather be equal in slavery than unequal in freedom.... The subjection of individuals will increase amongst democratic nations, not only in the same proportion as their equality, but in the same proportion as their ignorance.

  Alexis de Tocqueville

  Ignorance, Equality, Slavery

• The prejudice of the race appears stronger in the States that have abolished slaves than in the States where slavery still exists. White carpenters, white bricklayers, and white painters will not work side by side with the blacks in the North but do it in almost every Southern State.

  Alexis de Tocqueville

  War, White, Race

• Socialism is a new form of slavery.

  Alexis de Tocqueville

  Political, Slavery, Politics

  "Notes for a Speech on Socialism" by Alexis de Tocqueville, 1848.

• I am obliged to confess that I do not regard the abolition of slavery as a means of warding off the struggle of the two races in the Southern states. The Negroes may long remain slaves without complaining; but if they are once raised to the level of freemen, they will soon revolt at being deprived of almost all their civil rights; and as they cannot become the equals of the whites, they will speedily show themselves as enemies.

  Alexis de Tocqueville

  War, Struggle, Mean

  Alexis de Tocqueville (1862). “Democracy in America”, p.486

• Democratic communities have a natural taste for freedom: left to themselves they will seek it, cherish it, and view any deprivation of it with regret. But for equality their passion is ardent, insatiable, incessant, invincible: they call for equality in freedom; and if they cannot obtain that, they still call for equality in slavery.

  Alexis de Tocqueville

  Regret, Passion, Equality

  "Democracy in America". Book by Alexis de Tocqueville, Volume II. Book Two, Chapter I, 1840.

• There is, in fact, a manly and lawful passion for equality which excites men to wish all to be powerful and honored. This passion tends to elevate the humble to the rank of the great; but there exists also in the human heart a depraved taste for equality, which impels the weak to attempt to lower the powerful to their own level, and reduces men to prefer equality in slavery to inequality with freedom.

  Alexis de Tocqueville

  Powerful, Passion, Heart

  Alexis de Tocqueville (1839). “Democracy in America”, p.50

• Slavery...dishonors labor. It introduces idleness into society, and with idleness, ignorance and pride, luxury and distress. It enervates the powers of the mind and benumbs the activity of man.

  Alexis de Tocqueville

  Ignorance, Pride, Men

  Alexis de Tocqueville (2001). “Democracy in America”, p.37, Penguin

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