Political Science - Tocqueville

Alexis de Tocqueville in his work Democracy in America espouses somewhat interesting views on the relation between religious belief and politics two important domains of humilitary personnel legal act . He points to the quick connection between the two as they both master human activity Religion , in Tocqueville s opinion , is the prerequisite for the existence of a democratic society , an indispensable own of the social setup in which men are to be equal and society is to function with forbidden a masterTocqueville proceeds from the self-confidence that globe merchantmannot do without br dogmatic beliefs , and states that religion seems to him the just about desirable of these beliefs . Tocqueville insists on the importance of ` placed bringing close togethers about beau ideal that will provide the foundation for tout ensemble kinds of human activity . In his view , having fixed views on religion relieves man from conceptualization of all surrounding phenomena on his own and producing applicable basic tenets that will govern understanding and action quite , man can act based on the already relevant religious standpoints . Tocqueville here draws on the distinction between science that is often understood in depth and by a few and exclusively applied in everyday keep by many laymenThe importance of having fixed views on religion , in Tocqueville s words , hinges on the compulsion to substitute firm beliefs and attitudes for confused and changing notions disoriented mountain who live without religion would most surely have . The contain to come up with independent ideas and solutions , to navigate in the orb without the strong cover of religion is so enervating for humans , in the author s mind , that not only does it run a risk in such a case that they allow their immunity to be taken from them they frequently surrender it themselves Thus , religion for Tocqueville is a necessary prerequisite of democracy : without it democracy can at best be unstableTocqueville very perceptively pinpoints redoubted propensities that can develop in men because of equality : isolation , self-focus and preoccupation with material gain .

All this resonates with what we can play along in contemporary Western societies . Relevant seems also the philosopher s idea that religion should not be too restrictive , but rather give general guidance for human action . Here Tocqueville brings up the juxtaposition of Christianity with its general framework and Islam that spells out virtually every social norm for its followers so restricting developmentTherefore , in some parts Tocqueville s ideas remain exceedingly relevant However , his emphasis on religion as the most important guidance in political feeling , able to uphold democracy , seems overdrawn to someone living in the age when democracy shuns any dogmatic belief . In Tocqueville s times , when the concept of democracy was new , people could indeed have needed religion as a compass that will navigate them through the turbulent waves of social life . Today , society has come up with institutions that can successfully take over the functions previously performed by churches , such as supporting art , science , health care , and educationIn sum , Tocqueville was probably focusing on a society where all or most...If you want to get a full essay, high society it on our website: Ordercustompaper.com

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