“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 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.”
GreatAll Quotes by Alexis de Tocqueville
“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“Those that despise people will never get the best out of others and themselves.”
Best“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“Liberty cannot be established without morality, nor morality without faith.”
Faith“In other words, a democratic government is the only one in which those who vote for a tax can escape the obligation to pay it.”
Government“The main business of religions is to purify, control, and restrain that excessive and exclusive taste for well-being which men acquire in times of equality.”
Business“There are many men of principle in both parties in America, but there is no party of principle.”
Men“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“He was as great as a man can be without morality.”
Great“All those who seek to destroy the liberties of a democratic nation ought to know that war is the surest and shortest means to accomplish it.”
War“As one digs deeper into the national character of the Americans, one sees that they have sought the value of everything in this world only in the answer to this single question: how much money will it bring in?”
Money“There are two things which a democratic people will always find very difficult - to begin a war and to end it.”
War“The health of a democratic society may be measured by the quality of functions performed by private citizens.”
Health“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“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“The power of the periodical press is second only to that of the people.”
Power“Life is to be entered upon with courage.”
Courage“In politics shared hatreds are almost always the basis of friendships.”
Politics“When the past no longer illuminates the future, the spirit walks in darkness.”
Future