Individualism As A Danger To Democracy

According to Tocqueville, what is individualism, why is it a danger to society, and what is the link between individualism and equality? In Democracy in America, Tocqueville explains that individualism is the focus on the self, that leads to weakness and isolationism, and that equality tends to dissolve bonds between people.

Tocqueville begins volume two, part two, chapter two of Democracy in America by explaining individualism and how it relates to the founding father’s idea of selfishness. Selfishness is the love of self that causes someone to prefer himself over everything, while individualism is the sentiment to isolate himself from the mass around him. Tocqueville states that “selfishness withers the seed of all virtues; individualism at first dries up only the source of public virtues… and will finally be absorbed in selfishness” (DA, 483).

Tocqueville formally defines individualism as, “a reflective and peaceable sentiment that disposes each citizen to isolate himself from the mass of those like him… so that after having thus created a little society for his own use, he willingly abandons society at large to itself” (DA, 482). It is a reasonable suggestion that there would be social instability and less mutual obligations in some countries that lead to people withdrawing into the familiar circle of friends and family. In aristocracies, every person is born with several obligations and connections, so he would be narcissistic to abandon them and withdraw into the isolation of himself and his own personal interests. Countries that are democratic and strive for equality would be impossible for people who are expected to succeed in the world through their own effort at a young age because of the unreliability of the conditions and people around them would repeatedly find themselves.

Tocqueville questions individualism tendencies about whether they should be resisted and are dangerous or worth acceptance because they are unavoidable. It is clear that Tocqueville supports the former opinion. Aristocracies are, “almost always bound in a tight manner to something that is placed outside of them, and they are often disposed to forget themselves” (DA, 483). It is believed that individualism is one of the most negative and dangerous qualities in American democracy. Tocqueville feared a world where everybody competed for their own benefit instead of the betterment of society as a whole.

Individualism heads to a materialistic society working toward wealth. Tocqueville is hesitant about the pursuit of wealth by the Americans because he views a materialistic society as a failure of morals and spirituality. Tocqueville views this as a danger because the people who strive the most receive the most wealth, even though everybody is given the same opportunities. Tocqueville fears that this will be a result in the future of his native country of France. Tocqueville states that in aristocracies, “material well-being is therefore not the goal of life for them; it is a manner of living” (DA, 506).

Individualism is a danger to democracy because a large section of the population could very well become isolated and apathetic to the welfare around them. This could cause the population to be unwilling and unable to come together and prevent tyranny. This would lead to attending one’s own personal affairs. Tocqueville states that “equality places men beside one another without a common bond to hold them, Despotism raises barriers between them and separates them” (DA, 485). Tocqueville doesn’t seem concerned that these are apparent in America. Tocqueville later explains that “equality disposes them not to think of those like themselves, and for them, despotism makes a sort of public virtue of indifference” (DA, 485). Tocqueville has this commendation to America’s traditions that involve free institutions and credits the institutions with preserving liberty and fighting the negative effects of an individualistic society. Tocqueville states that “the Americans have combated the individualism to which equality gives birth with freedom, and they have defeated it” (DA, 486). This leads free institutions to provide protection from despotism and exhibit the mutuality of people living in society.

Tocqueville points out democratic equality sometimes dissolves the bond between people in societies and can cause low social mobility. This applies especially true to aristocracies. Tocqueville states that “aristocracy had made of all citizens a long chain that went from the peasant up to the king; democracy breaks the chain and sets each link apart” (DA, 483). The fewer divisions there are in a society, the higher the temptation of isolation is between people and makes it harder to control.

Tocqueville believes in a larger possibility of tyranny and belittles the virtues of selfishness. It is worth considering the moral effects of individualism because there seems to be a shift in understanding. Tocqueville writes about how aristocratic societies are claimed by a chain, where people are bound by obligations to their families, future generations, ancestors, and everybody above and below them. This leads to people involved in the interests of those around them and leads to sacrifice. Americans do not have specific obligations of any kind, but the obligations may not work out if it requires considerable sacrifice that is needed. An effect of this individualism is privacy and anonymity.

According to Democracy in America, Tocqueville defines individualism as devotion to oneself. Tocqueville describes a few reasons why individualism is a danger to democracy. The three main reasons are that individualism leads to tyranny, democracy becomes apathetic, and society leads to a materialistic society. Tocqueville believes democratic equality tends to break the bonds of people that live in societies with low social mobility. Through all this, Tocqueville praises Americans for overcoming individualism, even though it can be hard to draw Americans out of isolationism.