Tocqueville's State of Nature Foundation

Abstract

AbstractThis article presents an entirely new interpretation of the foundations of Alexis de Tocqueville's liberalism. The current scholarly consensus is that Tocqueville rejects the state of nature foundation of early modern political thought. In contrast to this orthodox view, I maintain that this early modern theory serves as one of the foundations of his political philosophy. This essay contends that Tocqueville's Memoir on Pauperism proves that he has an anthropology that is heavily indebted to state of nature theory, particularly Rousseau's. Moreover, key sections of Democracy in America, read in light of the Memoir on Pauperism, reveal that state of nature theory is operative in Tocqueville's new political science. Finally, The Old Regime and the Revolution explains why Tocqueville was a moderate state of nature thinker. By unearthing this hitherto unnoticed foundation, I hope to challenge scholars to reexamine the enduring importance of Tocqueville's innovative liberalism.