Tocqueville Voices
A platform to inspire a Taste for Democracy
A space to share reflections and content inspired by Tocqueville’s ideas on democracy and civic engagement, showcasing insights, quotes, essays, or commentaries—particularly around civil society, civic engagement, and democratic thought.
Tocqueville thoughts explained by:
Joshua Mitchell
A political theorist at Georgetown.
Find the video of his lecture here, and the accompanying readings here.
Jean Yarbrough
Professor of social sciences at Bowdoin.
The video of her talk is here, and the readings can be download here.
Jean-Louis Benoît
- Lecture given at the Cercle Condorcet of Deauville on the theme “The Relevance of Tocqueville Today Democracy and Democrature.” The text of this lecture can be download here.
- Presentation on the topic “The Social Democratic State, Democracy, Despotism, and Dictatorship,” delivered during a commemorative symposium marking the 30th anniversary of the Postgraduate Philosophy Program at the Federal University of Goiás. The text is available for download here.
EXPLORE
What did he think about it?
Tocqueville’s key concepts, themes, and political positions are thoroughly explored in the Dictionnaire Tocqueville, written by Jean‑Louis Benoît. This comprehensive reference work includes in-depth entries on major issues such as democracy, despotism, liberty, equality, or freedom of press, and Tocqueville’s circle of contemporaries, offering both contextual and historical perspectives. Jean-Louis Benoît Dictionnaire Tocqueville. Paris, Éditions Nuvis, 2017.
Below is an extract from his book. These texts provide valuable context for understanding Tocqueville’s thought and its continued relevance today.
