Alexis de Tocqueville Quotes - Page 6

Quotes about:

• This so-called tolerance, which, in my opinion, is nothing but a huge indifference.

  Alexis de Tocqueville

  Tolerance, Opinion, Indifference

  Alexis de Tocqueville, Roger Boesche, James Toupin (1986). “Selected Letters on Politics and Society”, p.48, Univ of California Press

  5 Copy quote

• It is the dissimilarities and inequalities among men which give rise to the notion of honor; as such differences become less, it grows feeble; and when they disappear, it will vanish too.

  Alexis de Tocqueville

  Men, Differences, Giving

  "Democracy in America". Book by Alexis de Tocqueville, Volume II. Book Three, Chapter XVIII, 1840.

  11 Copy quote

• Born often under another sky, placed in the middle of an always moving scene, himself driven by the irresistible torrent which draws all about him, the American has no time to tie himself to anything, he grows accustomed only to change, and ends by regarding it as the natural state of man. He feels the need of it, more he loves it; for the instability; instead of meaning disaster to him, seems to give birth only to miracles all about him.

  Alexis de Tocqueville

  Love, Change, Moving

  9 Copy quote

• To commit violent and unjust acts, it is not enough for a government to have the will or even the power; the habits, ideas and passions of the time must lend themselves to their committal.

  Alexis de Tocqueville

  Passion, Government, Ideas

  Alexis de Tocqueville (1896). “Recollections”, p.149, Library of Alexandria

  7 Copy quote

• The will of the nation is one of those phrases most widely abused by schemers and tyrants of all ages.

  Alexis de Tocqueville

  Tyrants, Democracy, Age

  7 Copy quote

• The more alike men are, the weaker each feels in the face of all.

  Alexis de Tocqueville

  Men, Faces, Feels

  Alexis De Tocqueville (2004). “Democracy in America: The Complete and Unabridged Volumes I and II”, p.29, Bantam Classics

  7 Copy quote

• It is an axiom of political science in the United States that the sole means of neutralizing the effects of newspapers is to multiply their number.

  Alexis de Tocqueville

  Mean, Numbers, Political

  9 Copy quote

• It is far more important to resist apathy than anarchy or despotism, for apathy can give rise, almost indifferently, to either one.

  Alexis de Tocqueville

  Giving, Important, Apathy

  6 Copy quote

• Consider any individual at any period of his life, and you will always find him preoccupied with fresh plans to increase his comfort.

  Alexis de Tocqueville

  Air, Individuality, Comfort

  "Democracy in America". Book by Alexis de Tocqueville, Volume II. Book Three, Chapter XXI, 1840.

  11 Copy quote

• It is above all in the present democratic age that the true friends of liberty and human grandeur must remain constantly vigilant and ready to prevent the social power from lightly sacrificing the particular rights of a few individuals to the general execution of its designs. In such times there is no citizen so obscure that it is not very dangerous to allow him to be oppressed, and there are no individual rights so unimportant that they can be sacrificed to arbitrariness with impunity.

  Alexis de Tocqueville

  True Friend, Sacrifice, Rights

  11 Copy quote

• I questioned the faithful of all communions; I particularly sought the society of clergymen, who are the depositories of the various creeds and have a personal interest in their survival ... all thought the main reason for the quiet sway of religion over their country was the complete separation of church and state. I have no hesitation in stating that throughout my stay in America I met nobody, lay or cleric, who did not agree about that.

  Alexis de Tocqueville

  Country, America, Faithful

  10 Copy quote

• Trade is the natural enemy of all violent passions. Trade loves moderation, delights in compromise, and is most careful to avoid anger. It is patient, supple, and insinuating, only resorting to extreme measures in cases of absolute necessity.

  Alexis de Tocqueville

  Passion, Enemy, Delight

  "Democracy in America".

  12 Copy quote

• We succeed in enterprises which demand the positive qualities we possess, but we excel in those which can also make use of our defects.

  Alexis de Tocqueville

  Positive, Success, Business

  20 Copy quote

• I should have loved freedom, I believe, at all times, but in the time in which we live I am ready to worship it.

  Alexis de Tocqueville

  Believe, Should Have, Liberty

  Alexis de Tocqueville (1847). “Democracy in America”

  21 Copy quote

• Men living in democratic times have many passions, but most of their passions either end in the love of riches, or proceed from it.

  Alexis de Tocqueville

  Passion, Men, Riches

  Alexis de Tocqueville (1863). “Democracy in America”, p.278

  4 Copy quote

• I have always thought it rather interesting to follow the involuntary movements of fear in clever people. Fools coarsely display their cowardice in all its nakedness, but the others are able to cover it with a veil so delicate, so daintily woven with small plausible lies, that there is some pleasure to be found in contemplating this ingenious work of the human intelligence.

  Alexis de Tocqueville

  Clever, Lying, People

  Alexis de Tocqueville (1896). “Recollections”, p.230, Library of Alexandria

  19 Copy quote

• The main business of religions is to purify, control, and restrain that excessive and exclusive taste for well-being which men acquire in times of equality.

  Alexis de Tocqueville

  Business, Equality, Men

  "Democracy in America". Book by Alexis de Tocqueville, Volume II. Book One, Chapter V, 1840.

  17 Copy quote

• The territorial aristocracy of former ages was either bound by law, or thought itself bound by usage, to come to the relief of its serving-men and to relieve their distresses. But the manufacturing aristocracy of our age first impoverishes and debases the men who serve it and then abandons them to be supported by the charity of the public.

  Alexis de Tocqueville

  Men, Law, Age

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

  20 Copy quote

• When the people rule, they must be rendered happy, or they will overturn the state.

  Alexis de Tocqueville

  People, Revolution, Rebellion

  Alexis de Tocqueville (2001). “Democracy in America”, p.129, Penguin

  6 Copy quote

• The power of the periodical press is second only to that of the people.

  Alexis de Tocqueville

  Power, People, Presses

  Alexis De Tocqueville (1863). “Democracy In America -- Vol. 1”, p.239

  7 Copy quote

• The Americans make associations to give entertainment, to found seminaries, to build inns, to construct churches, to diffuse books, to send missionaries to the antipodes; in this manner, they found hospitals, prisons and schools.

  Alexis de Tocqueville

  Book, School, Giving

  53 Copy quote

• If an American was condemned to confine his activity to his own affairs, he would be robbed of one half of his existence.

  Alexis de Tocqueville

  Gossip, Would Be, Half

  Alexis De Tocqueville (2015). “Democracy in America: Book One”, p.478, eKitap Projesi

  16 Copy quote

• Nature secretly avenges herself for the constraint imposed upon her by the laws of man.

  Alexis de Tocqueville

  Men, Law, Constraints

  Alexis De Tocqueville (2004). “Democracy in America: The Complete and Unabridged Volumes I and II”, p.498, Bantam Classics

  4 Copy quote

• It would seem that if despotism were to be established among the democratic nations of our days, it might assume a different character; it would be more extensive and more mild; it would degrade men without tormenting them. I do not question that, in an age of instruction and equality like our own, sovereigns might more easily succeed in collecting all political power into their own hands and might interfere more habitually and decidedly with the circle of private interests than any sovereign of antiquity could ever do.

  Alexis de Tocqueville

  Character, Men, Hands

  Alexis de Tocqueville (2015). “Democracy in America - Vol. I. and II.”, p.760, Read Books Ltd

  16 Copy quote

• By obliging men to turn their attention to other affairs than their own, it rubs off that private selfishness which is the rust of society.

  Alexis de Tocqueville

  Men, Law, Selfishness

  Alexis de Tocqueville (1863). “Democracy in America”, p.364

  4 Copy quote

Page 6 of 13

First

← Prev

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

Next →

• facebook
• twitter
• googleplus
• email
• linkedin