La Democrazia in America e la Francia

In Tocqueville’s political thought the concept of democracy doesn’t primarily define a political regime but a condition of equality. The source of this idea can be traced in the writings of the French Doctrinaires (Royer-Collard, Guizot). To this general meaning Tocqueville adds a prophetic accent that characterize his book on the American democracy. The Democracy in America was published in two very different parts in 1835 and 1840 and many scholars speak of a first and a second Democracy. An element of continuity between the two volumes, however, is the constant reference to the French situation that underlines the analysis. In fact the reference to France is not only an element of continuity between the two Democracies but also constitutes an essential key to understanding all of Tocqueville’s work.