Alexis de Tocquevilles Democracy in America Essay example

Alexis de Tocquevilles visit to the United States in the early part of the nineteenth century prompted his work Democracy in America, in which he expressed the ability to make democracy work. Throughout his travels Tocqueville noted that private interest and personal gain motivated the actions of most Americans, which in turn cultivated a strong sense of individualism. Tocqueville believed that this individualism would soon sap the virtue of public life (395) and create a despotism of selfishness. This growth of despotism would be created by citizens becoming too individualistic, and therefore not bothering to fulfill their civic duties or exercise their freedom. Tocqueville feared that the political order of America would soon become†¦show more content†¦br brAnother means by which Tocqueville believes it is possible to contest individualism is to form associations and write newspapers. He believes that like local governments, associations help people to realize their dependence on their fellow citizens and take interest in public affairs. It is crucial to have institutions and civic duties which force people to look beyond their own interests and think about the problems of the community. As soon as several of the inhabitants of the United States have taken up an opinion or a feeling which they wish to promote to the world, they look out for mutual assistance; and as soon as they have found one another out, they combine. From that moment they are no longer isolated men, but a power seen from afar, whose actions serve for an example and whose language is listened to (407). Seeing as citizens in democratic societies are independent and weak, they need to form associations in order to have some influence. By bringing people together, new thoughts and ideas are circulated with a stronger force behind them. br brNewspapers combat individualism by allowing numerous readers to be exposed to the same thoughts and ideas. There is a shared relationship between newspapers and associations: newspapers aid in the formation of associations, and associations use newspapers as a means of communicating their thoughts and ideas. When there is a notion shared by many individuals, but notShow MoreRelated Alexis de Tocqueville?s Influence Essay596 Words   |  3 Pages Alexis de Tocqueville’s Influence nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Alexis de Tocqueville’s observation of the American prison system brought out several interesting facts about America and how it governs itself. He talks of the danger of greed for money, the importance of forming associations, and the power of influence in town government. Although many of his observations have since changed, many of them bring about legitimate points about American government and society. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;InRead MoreCritical Analysis of Alex de Tocquevilles Democracy in America1366 Words   |  6 PagesCosby Analysis of Alexis de Tocqueville’s Democracy in America Alexis de Tocqueville’s visit to the United States in 1831 prompted his work Democracy in America. This was supposed to be a chance for him to take a look at the American prison system. However, it was obvious from his writing that he looked at every aspect of American culture. In Democracy in America, he takes a look at how democracy works and the pitfalls that could bring about the downfall of democracy. Throughout his travelsRead MoreEssay about Alexis deTocqueville2501 Words   |  11 PagesAlexis deTocqueville Alexis de Tocqueville was born in Paris on July 29th, 1805. Growing up in Metz, France, the youngest child of Hervà © Tocqueville and Mlle. De Rosanbo, he showed great intellectual promise from his earliest days. By the age of 16, his academic career was a brilliant one, his schoolwork earning him a special prize and two first prizes. He was an avid reader, reading books hardly accessible to a boy of his young age. It was during these years that he developed his criticalRead MoreAlexis de Tocqueville: Weaknesses of Democracy1813 Words   |  8 PagesAlexis de Tocqueville: Weaknesses of Democracy Most of the researches consider publications of Alexis de Tocqueville as longsighted and even prophetic. That actualizes the issues which Tocqueville investigates in his publications and books. For instance, Tocqueville in his â€Å"Democracy in America† foresees the future confrontation of Russia and United States. The reason for that is two different perception of life – for Americans the motive is a freedom, for Russians - service. Another significantRead MoreTyranny And The Social Wellbeing Of Citizens1750 Words   |  7 Pagesconcerned themselves at some point with the issue of tyranny in society. Such writers spanned from Alexis de Tocqueville, to John Stuart Mill, to Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. The interpretations and approaches taken to the subject of tyranny and how to protect against it, though, were as varied as the collection of authors who addressed it. From de Tocqueville’s stringent observations in Democracy in America, the concept of a purely political tyranny is delineated. In contrast, Mill’s essay On LibertyRead MoreAn Exploration of Individualism as Described by Alexis de Tocqueville in Democracy in America1312 Words   |  6 PagesAn Exploration of Individualism As Described By Alexis de Tocqueville in Democracy In America The classic work Democracy In America by Alexis de Tocqueville has been the reason for scholarly pursuit as well as strife within that same community. Through a brief examination of this text, several of Tocqueville’s arguments helped to define many of the constructs that made America what it was as well as those that have led to what it has become today. Of the many themes and ideas presentedRead MorePolitical Freedom: Arendt and de Tocqueville Essay1461 Words   |  6 PagesPolitical Freedom: Arendt and de Tocqueville Freedom in America emanates from the state of political freedom held by the citizens. Both Hannah Arendt and Alexis de Tocqueville provide criticism of the apparent shape freedom maintains in America as well as insight regarding how they perceive true political freedom. By using the observations and criticisms of de Tocqueville and the vision of Arendt, the position of modern America and its relation to the idealsRead More Marx’s Communist Manifesto and Conrad’s Heart of Darkness Essay1700 Words   |  7 Pagesexploration. In developed nations, agriculturally based economies gave way to manufacturing and trading economies as feudal systems were replaced by democratic societies. What allowed for this shift? According to Alexis de Tocqueville’s Democracy in America (1832), the equality supplied by democracy is what facilitated the entrance into this new economic and political era. Furthermore, Karl Marx’s Communist Manifesto and Joseph Conrad’s He art of Darkness are both texts written in response to the changesRead More Democracy in America Essay2008 Words   |  9 PagesDemocracy in America Throughout the course of history, mankind has been recorded to corrupt itself. Men have grown tired of simply surviving; they have had to take and conquer others. Absolute monarchies control wealth, land, and even lives of men. The conditions of the people were solely dependent on the conditions of the one who was in power in that particular place and time. History has proven that most men rule unwisely in their kingdoms. To avoid tyrannical rule, some make an attempt toRead MoreEssay about Alexis de Tocqueville: Democracy in America1197 Words   |  5 Pages Democracy in America has been a guiding principle since the foundation of the country. Many over the years have commented on the structure and formation of democracy but more importantly the implementation and daily function within the democratic parameters that have been set. Alexis de Tocqueville was a French political thinker and historian born July 29, 1805. He is most famously known for his work Democracy in America. Demo cracy in America has been an evolving social and economic reform, and

The Engineer s Ultimate Satisfying Solution - 1685 Words

Grade: 97% Overall Comment: You demonstrated very good understanding of the reading material, as well as many essences of the course. Structure of your report can become clearer and more consistent, if you had generalized a few sub-titles for different content. It is a very good strategy to relate some practical examples to help demonstrate your real â€Å"design thinking†. Most of your analysis are both correct and deep. Very good report! When designing a new product, the modern engineer has many scales to consider. The critical scale for the designer to balance is the scale between social reality and brute reality. The engineer must rationalize and optimize a solution to give it both purpose and functionality. The challenge is further complicated by the group dynamic of an engineering team which must globally optimize and collectively rationalize a multi-objective and multi-stakeholder project. The engineer’s ultimate satisfying solution should harmonize and integrate rationality and optimality into the design process. In this analysis, brute and social realities will be examined in the context of the Value-Focused Thinking (VFT) approach as a controls problem for a two degree of freedom system. An example describing the iterative design of a pair of night time reading glasses for environments void of light will apply these principles. The example considers the inputs of a design engineer and the inputs of the optometrist (This is an actual example of design as described by myShow MoreRelatedManagement : Management And Management Essay1740 Words   |  7 Pages Successful managers do not simply dictate orders, they apply multiple disciplines, embrace the organization as a living breathing entity which has differing moods, requirements and needs, and they understand strive to create a challenging and satisfying work environment, one which promotes innovation, employee dedication and high productivity. To create this type of environment, managers need to understanding their greatest asset are the people whom they manage. 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How Did Geography Affect Where Colonists Settled Free Essays

Beginning in 1607, when ambitious English colonists settled in Jamestown, and continuing until the last of the thirteen colonies was established; geography was a substantial factor in the development of colonial America. The crops that essentially saved the colonists lives, such as tobacco, rice, and indigo, wouldn’t have grown without a certain type and amount of soil to grow properly. Also, the Appalachian Mountains and the dense forests provided a barrier for the colonists, preventing them from going too far west right away, and causing the colonies to form in the arrangement they did. We will write a custom essay sample on How Did Geography Affect Where Colonists Settled or any similar topic only for you Order Now Finally, the population was the most dense in middle colonies, such as New York, New Jersey, Delaware, and Pennsylvania partly because of the mild landscape and fertile soil. Early in the 1600’s, John Rolfe and his wife Pocahontas discovered tobacco. It was soon heavily sought after in Europe, and quickly became a cash crop for Virginia. After establishing the tobacco industry in Virginia, many of the other colonies soon followed suit. Unfortunately, tobacco quickly drains the nutrients of the soil that it is planted on. Without the plentiful and fertile soil that these settlers were using, it would have been very difficult for the colonists to survive much longer. Tobacco wasn’t the only crop that the colonists discovered early on, however. In South Carolina, many rice and indigo plantations began to emerge. In order for rice to grow, it needs to be planted in a swamp, or some other sort of low-watered area. The swamps of South Carolina were a perfect place to grow rice, and was considered a rich man’s crop because of the labor it took to harvest and grow it. Without certain soil and growing conditions, it would have been very difficult for the colonists to sustain themselves in the early years of America. The natural landscape of what is now known as the United States also was a big part of how the original thirteen colonies developed. The Appalachian Mountains stretch from Maine all the way to Georgia. This mountain range prevented the first colonists from going too far west. This, in turn, made it so that the population were more dense, and there was a higher concentration of people. The dense forests of the eastern seaboard disallowed for large cities to be created right away. This geological factor forced colonists to spread out within the perimeters of the Appalachian Mountains and the Atlantic Ocean, without being too close together. Both of these factors could be overlooked easily enough, but did have a reasonable impact of the development of colonial America. Finally, the geography of the middle colonies, such as New York, New Jersey, Delaware, and Pennsylvania played a big role on the development and population of this area. In the sixteen and seventeen hundreds, the above colonies were the most populated of the thirteen establishments. There was plentiful and fertile soil, in which tobacco was heavily grown. The Susquehanna River also flowed through this region, opening the possibility of fur trade. Other minor rivers that were found in the middle colonies were gentle, which provided for easy transportation and fishing. The land in the middle colonies was broad and expansive, making it easy for even the middle class residents to create an enjoyable and profitable lifestyle. In conclusion, there were many factors that contributed to the development of the colonial America, but geography was clearly a sizable influence. If the geography of America wasn’t the way it was, the colonists who settled here may have not survived as well as they did. By the time the tobacco industry was established, and small cities began to rise, American came to realize that not only were they surviving, but they were thriving. This realization had to do with more than the fact that they had separated themselves according to religion, or put aside the issue of the Native Americans. There is no question that the lay of the land had a substantial impact on the development of not only colonial, but also current America. How to cite How Did Geography Affect Where Colonists Settled, Essay examples

The Reform of the Mentally Ill free essay sample

The Movement and Reform of the Mentally Ill Everyone has been to a hospital. Many people know what an asylum is. Some people know someone that has been to an asylum. Some people have visited an asylum. Before 1 845, those asylums were nothing like todays. The mentally ill were put in horrible conditions and were treated the same as murderers. The mentally ill reform movement changed that. It made sure that the mentally ill were treated with care, and some of the tactics that were made at that time are still used to this day.The mental reform movement was low to start, but when it started, its effects were immediate. The mentally ill were either taken care of by family, or buy privately owned businesses, that were horrible. Caparison and Asylum Reform) People that were mentally ill went into prisons instead of hospitals. (Prisons and Asylums) These prisons used the Auburn System, in this system the prisoners would be kept in isolation unless they were working. (Prisons and Asylums) This system was named after the Auburn State Prison. Prisons and Asylums) Eighty people kept in this system committed suicide or went mentally insane. (Prisons and Asylums) This started to make people think about the prisons, and who were in them. There werent that many people that were in this reform, but the ones that were involved were very good at helping the mentally insane. Enoch Wines and Theodore Dwight were one of the first people to point out the flaws in the current system. They showed that the mentally handicapped were abused.They pointed this out in a report they published which outlined the guidelines that werent getting any results, and giving new guidelines that would get results. A majority of these guidelines were revolutionary and hanged the way that the mentally ill were treated. (Prisons and Asylums) DRP. John Gal. was one of the first doctors to employ some of those guidelines in his working. These included using talk therapy, talking to patients, and to try to understand them, instead of punishing them.He also tried to avoid having lifelong stays, he tried to focus on making his patients prepared for the world and releasing them when they were prepared. (Prison and Asylum Reform) The movement was made mostly of hospital workers and doctors wanting better conditions for their patients. Most of these also were from the New England area, as this is where the majority of the influential people lived. (Prisons and Asylums) Throated Dixie was arguably one of the most influential people that were in this movement. She was one of the few people that actually took action against these monstrosities. Prisons and Asylums) She first found out about these conditions by going to teach at a prison. When she went to teach she found out that most of the people that were imprisoned, were there because they were mentally ill. (Prisons and Asylums) She did an investigation in Massachusetts from 1840-1841 to see owe the mentally ill were treated. Her investigation revealed many horrible things that were done to them because they couldnt do things they were instructed to do. (Prisons and Asylums) She did many other things to help the world too.She was made the Superintendent of Nurses during the Civil War on the Union side. (Prison and Asylum Reform) Throated Dixie died in 1887. She died in one of the state hospitals she helped to create her entire life. She died at the age of eighty-five. (Throated Dixie Begins Her Reform) There were many important events that occurred during the sasss that led o the mentally ill being treated. Throated Dixie did many speeches to various governments to try to convince them to fund various state hospitals and studies. One of her most famous speeches was called Memorial.She gave the speech to the Massachusetts legislature to try to convince them to fund one or more state run hospitals. (Throated Dixie Begins Her Reform) In her speech she described horrible conditions. One of the worst conditions described was a man chained to other dead bodies in a room with no heat in the dead of winter. (Throated Dixie Begins Her Reform) This speech was given many times to various states. Near the end of her career she even went to other countries to convince them to treat the mentally ill in different ways than they used to do. Throated Dixie Begins Her Reform) Throated Divas speeches led to many new methods to be implemented across the country, even internationally. One of her first bills that she got passed was in Massachusetts. The bill led to the introduction of various mental hospitals, and making existing ones bigger. (Prisons and Asylums) Her bill was passed in congress, but sadly, was vetoed by the president, Franklin Pierce in 1854. However, her speeches did lead to some other advances, one of these was the creation of the first state asylum in Illinois. Prisons and Asylums) Enoch Wines and Theodore Wines also made lasting effects in the community. Their intervention led to the creation of the Elmira Reformatory in 1876. They also managed to get their agenda for the mentally ill backed by the national congress in the city of Cincinnati (Prisons and Asylums) All of their efforts eventually led to a single, revolutionary bill passed, called, The Bill for the Benefit of the Mentally Insane. Sponsors and Asylums) This bill sold a total of 1 2,223,000 acres of federal land. The money made from this went towards the care and treatment of the mentally insane. ,000 of the acres were sold for treatments and care of the blind and deaf. This movement is remembered for bringing asylums into commonplace and for saving the mentally ill from horrible conditions. Caparison and Asylum Reform) People looked at the mentally ill, for the first time, as people that needed help, not people that needed to be punished for being them. This reform helped the creation of many asylums. In 1 880 there were 123 asylums in the United States. The Ignited States had some of the best asylums in the entire world by 1 885 because of this reform.The United States were one of the first countries to truly solve this problem and help end the horrible treatment Of the mentally ill.