Quotes by Alexis de Tocqueville

The greatness of America lies not in being more enlightened than any other nation, but rather in her ability to repair her faults.

— Alexis de Tocqueville

Wisdom

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.

— Alexis de Tocqueville

Freedom

Americans are so enamored of equality that they would rather be equal in slavery than unequal in freedom.

— Alexis de Tocqueville

Freedom

Life is to be entered upon with courage.

— Alexis de Tocqueville

Courage

The American Republic will endure until the day Congress discovers that it can bribe the public with the public's money.

— Alexis de Tocqueville

Wisdom

The Indian knew how to live without wants, to suffer without complaint, and to die singing.

— Alexis de Tocqueville

Wisdom

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.

— Alexis de Tocqueville

Courage

When the past no longer illuminates the future, the spirit walks in darkness.

— Alexis de Tocqueville

Hope

There is hardly a political question in the United States which does not sooner or later turn into a judicial one.

— Alexis de Tocqueville

Wisdom

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.

— Alexis de Tocqueville

Freedom

History is a gallery of pictures in which there are few originals and many copies.

— Alexis de Tocqueville

Wisdom

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?

— Alexis de Tocqueville

Life

Grant me thirty years of equal division of inheritances and a free press, and I will provide you with a republic.

— Alexis de Tocqueville

Wisdom

The health of a democratic society may be measured by the quality of functions performed by private citizens.

— Alexis de Tocqueville

Wisdom

I know of no country in which there is so little independence of mind and real freedom of discussion as in America.

— Alexis de Tocqueville

Freedom

Liberty cannot be established without morality, nor morality without faith.

— Alexis de Tocqueville

Freedom

A democratic government is the only one in which those who vote for a tax can escape the obligation to pay it.

— Alexis de Tocqueville

Wisdom

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.

— Alexis de Tocqueville

Wisdom

There are many men of principle in both parties in America, but there is no party of principle.

— Alexis de Tocqueville

Wisdom

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.

— Alexis de Tocqueville

Wisdom

In the United States, the majority undertakes to supply a multitude of ready-made opinions for the use of individuals, who are thus relieved from the necessity of forming opinions of their own.

— Alexis de Tocqueville

Wisdom

No protracted war can fail to endanger the freedom of a democratic country.

— Alexis de Tocqueville

Freedom

Those that despise people will never get the best out of others and themselves.

— Alexis de Tocqueville

Wisdom

We succeed in enterprises which demand the positive qualities we possess, but we excel in those which can also make use of our defects.

— Alexis de Tocqueville

Wisdom