The article looks at the views of French historian Alexis de Tocqueville on democracy and its potential dangers. The scholar praised this political system but noted that it might become a “Tyranny of the Majority” (de Tocqueville, Alexis). Tyranny is generally associated with a dictatorship of political leaders who misuse their power. De Tocqueville emphasizes that when people unite, they do not change their nature and still seek power to pursue their own interests. In this way, the historian warns the readers that even democracy can become a tyranny if the majority starts to act like a dictator, ignoring the interests and rights of minority groups. De Tocqueville concludes that excessive power and freedom granted to people might be as dangerous as when they have none of it.
I do not think de Tocqueville’s views on democracy are still as relevant as they were in the 19th century since many developed countries have already accepted the same ideas. However, the historian’s criticism was very useful for the democracy’s development and demonstrates how much progress has been made to achieve the present state. Now, everyone admits that true democracy does not ignore the interests of vulnerable and oppressed groups. Council of Europe states that democracy is not the “rule of the majority” but “is government on behalf of all the people, according to their will” (“Democracy”). To ensure that, modern democratic models rely on two basic principles: individual autonomy and equality (“Democracy”). However, today, democratic governments face new challenges, such as complex issues of a globalized society, including terrorism or mass migration (Stavridis). Additionally, there is a growing dissatisfaction of people when they fail to address these problems properly (Stavridis). Thus, de Tocqueville’s criticism shows that no political system, even democracy, is perfect, and it needs to constantly evolve and adjust to new conditions to stay efficient.
Works Cited
“Democracy.” Council of Europe.
de Tocqueville, Alexis. Democracy in America. Translated by Henry Reeve, Penguin Random House, 2000.
Stavridis, James. “Democracy Isn’t Perfect, But It Will Still Prevail.” Time, 2018.