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| Aaron Vance |
By Aaron Vance, Class of 2017
Following my final lecture and seminar over Democracy in America at the McConnell Center, I was compelled to consider the application of Tocquevillian theory in the 21st century. As Tocqueville considered democracy of the 19th century in America, it’s of interest to correctly apply his observations to modern-day issues. To argue that we have transcended the principles of 19th century democracy must be considered carefully as we condemn the functions, or lack thereof, in the world in which we live now.
To say that the world of Tocqueville is different than that of the one in which we live now is correct, but the application of those ideals as a litmus test to success is where we become flawed in our understanding. To truly understand Tocqueville is to know the purpose of the writing as a tool of propaganda to bring an effective democracy to France, as Dr. James Schleifer mentioned in our opening seminar on Tocqueville at the McConnell Center. To qualify the ideals of these people as ones that we must follow now is a logical fallacy in the face of an ever-changing world. The 21st century is one of ever-expanding spheres, a seemingly stronger government, and the face of a healthy democracy that is being tried against these new issues.
As new issues are being combatted, as people become more connected via new means of communication, and as people are expanding their horizons in the endeavor of being more successful, it would seem that America is despotizing itself. But, just the same as power exists as a circuitous entity that finds itself in a dynamic state, according to Foucault, must we realize that it will fluctuate amongst the two quintessential American factions: the people and its government. So is it right to condemn a nation that must seek to be more powerful in addressing social issues? Are we wrong in saying that Tocqueville’s democracy should still exist today? As we seek to answer those things we have to understand that things never really change but actually only change form.
So is the “religion-less” society that we now consider our own, actually as extreme as we believe it to be? The same nation today that we criticize as being committed to a civil religion is the one that centuries before commissioned the apotheosis of George Washington to be placed in its capitol. Idealism has the ability to run rampant in America because of misunderstanding, and it must be realized that peoples of America aren’t as polarized as they believe themselves to be. And because of that, I hope that in whatever reading we take into account the words of Father James V. Schall, who writes on the topic of liberal education, to be careful as we let the “truths” of previous philosophers in their great works become misconstrued as they are juxtaposed to the society of the 21st century.
Aaron Vance, of Vine Grove, Ky., is a freshman McConnell Scholar at the University of Louisville. He is studying political science, history and anthropology.