“Nothing seems at first sight less important than the outward form of human actions, yet there is nothing upon which men set more store: they grow used to everything except to living in a society which has not their own manners.”
Society
“The health of a democratic society may be measured by the quality of functions performed by private citizens.”
HealthAll Quotes by Alexis de Tocqueville
“The power of the periodical press is second only to that of the people.”
Power“Americans are so enamored of equality that they would rather be equal in slavery than unequal in freedom.”
Equality“The debates of that great assembly are frequently vague and perplexed, seeming to be dragged rather than to march, to the intended goal. Something of this sort must, I think, always happen in public democratic assemblies.”
Great“Life is to be entered upon with courage.”
Courage“The Americans combine the notions of religion and liberty so intimately in their minds, that it is impossible to make them conceive of one without the other.”
Religion“No protracted war can fail to endanger the freedom of a democratic country.”
Freedom“Those that despise people will never get the best out of others and themselves.”
Best“It is the dissimilarities and inequalities among men which give rise to the notion of honor as such differences become less, it grows feeble and when they disappear, it will vanish too.”
Men“A democratic government is the only one in which those who vote for a tax can escape the obligation to pay it.”
Government“The surface of American society is covered with a layer of democratic paint, but from time to time one can see the old aristocratic colours breaking through.”
Society“What is most important for democracy is not that great fortunes should not exist, but that great fortunes should not remain in the same hands. In that way there are rich men, but they do not form a class.”
Great“I know of no country in which there is so little independence of mind and real freedom of discussion as in America.”
Freedom“History is a gallery of pictures in which there are few originals and many copies.”
History“The health of a democratic society may be measured by the quality of functions performed by private citizens.”
Health“Democracy and socialism have nothing in common but one word, equality. But notice the difference: while democracy seeks equality in liberty, socialism seeks equality in restraint and servitude.”
Equality“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.”
Men“The American Republic will endure until the day Congress discovers that it can bribe the public with the public's money.”
Money“When the past no longer illuminates the future, the spirit walks in darkness.”
Future“There are two things which a democratic people will always find very difficult - to begin a war and to end it.”
War