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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

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Alexis de Tocqueville
Age: 53 †
Born: 1805
Born: July 29
Died: 1859
Died: April 16
Historian
Jurist
Philosopher
Politician
Sociologist
Writer
Paris
France
Alexis-Charles-Henri Clérel de Tocqueville
Tocqueville
Alexis-Charles-Henri Clerel de Tocqueville
Introducing
Pride
Distress
Society
Powers
Mind
Luxury
Men
Slavery
Dishonors
Introduces
Labor
Dishonor
Ignorance
Idleness
Activity

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America is a land of wonders, in which everything is in constant motion and every change seems an improvement. No natural boundary seems to be set to the efforts of man and in his eyes what is not yet done is only what he has not attempted to do. - from Democracy in America
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I cannot help fearing that men may reach a point where they look on every new theory as a danger, every innovation as a toilsome trouble, every social advance as a first step toward revolution, and that they may absolutely refuse to move at all.
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Every central government worships uniformity: uniformity relieves it from inquiry into an infinity of details.
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Not only does democracy make every man forget his ancestors, but also clouds their view of their descendants and isolates them from their contemporaries. Each man is for ever thrown back on himself alone, and there is danger that he may be shut up in the solitude of his own heart.
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Men living in democratic times have many passions, but most of their passions either end in the love of riches, or proceed from it.
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Amongst democratic nations, each new generation is a new people.
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The most durable monument of human labor is that which recalls the wretchedness and nothingness of man.
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The Indian knew how to live without wants, to suffer without complaint, and to die singing.
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Socialism is a new form of slavery.
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To remain silent is the most useful service that a mediocre speaker can render to the public good.
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He [Napoleon] was as great as a man can be without morality.
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In the United States, the majority undertakes to supply a multitude of ready-made opinions for the use of individuals, who are thus relieved from the necessity of forming opinions of their own.
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Consider any individual at any period of his life, and you will always find him preoccupied with fresh plans to increase his comfort.
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A newspaper is an adviser who does not require to be sought, but who comes of his own accord, and talks to you briefly every day of the common wealth, without distracting you from your private affairs.
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When the reality of power has been surrendered, it's playing a dangerous game to seek to retain the appearance of it the external aspect of vigor can sometimes support a debilitated body, but most often it manages to deal it the final blow.
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Those that despise people will never get the best out of others and themselves.
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America is a country where they have freedom of speech but everyone says the same thing.
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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.
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They all attributed the peaceful dominion of religion in their country mainly to the separation of church and state. I do not hesitate to affirm that during my stay in America I did not meet a single individual, of the clergy or the laity, who was not of the same opinion on this point.
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