Democracy
Both Jean Jacques Rousseau and Alex de Tocqueville have been profoundly influential in helping us understand the nature of our society. Their critical analysis provides a platform through which we can engage in pragmatic debate. This paper will attempt to explain the views of both authors while giving a comparative analysis of their ideas.

In the early 19th century, renowned French political thinker Alex de Tocqueville embarked on a journey across the Atlantic Ocean to America. His mission was to understand what exactly made American democracy so special. Along the way, much was revealed about the American way of life. In his findings he noted the prevailing sense of individualism amongst the population. He found that most people where predominantly occupied by the notion of the “self” rather than the collective. Unsurprisingly, Tocqueville came to the conclusion that such a way of life would inevitably cause a collapse in America’s social framework.

In what can only be called a remarkable display of socio-political prescience, Tocqueville also concluded that the American civilization was destined to adopt a form of governance wherein all actions would be designed to satisfy the will of the individual rather than the will of the collective.

The trend towards individualism and selfishness that Tocqueville identified prompted him to come to a series of revealing predictions. He found that a culture predicated on egotism, selfishness and individualism would promote a sort of despotism whereby individuals would become apathetic to their duties as citizens. Duties that he believed were absolutely integral to an adequately functioning society. In addition, Tocqueville feared the rise in what he called selfish despotism. His grim warnings on the matter were bold yet surprisingly detailed. The predicted that despotism it had the potential to weave itself