Countering Conformity through Intellectual Freedom in Tocqueville’s Democracy in America
Countering Conformity through Intellectual Freedom in Tocqueville’s Democracy in America
Chapter 2 examines nonconformity of opinion in Democracy in America, investigating what Tocqueville can teach us about the nature of intellectual freedom in a world increasingly dominated by public opinion and what can be done to foster such freedom. It argues that while Tocqueville sees why conformity—in terms of intellectual servitude—is easy under democratic conditions, it can and should be resisted for the sake of a healthier democracy. It shows that Tocquevillian intellectual freedom consists in the freedom to dissent, which is fostered through private and public expressions of social support for individuals who dissent from public opinion. It also examines Tocquevillian public opinion in two domains: race and religion.
Keywords: Alexis deTocqueville, intellectual servitude, public opinion, dissent, intellectual freedom, slavery, religion, isolation, social ostracism, social support
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