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- Title
TOCQUEVILLE'S POLITICS OF PROVIDENCE: PASCAL, JANSENISM AND THE AUTHOR'S INTRODUCTION TO DEMOCRACY IN AMERICA.
- Authors
SELBY, David A.
- Abstract
The article discusses the introduction to the book "Democracy in America" written by French political scholar Alexis de Tocqueville, particularly Tocqueville's use of the concept of Providence. The author of the article argues that Tocqueville utilized the concept in two senses that can be traced to the writings of philosopher Blaise Pascal and French bishop Jacques-Bénigne Bossuet. The article examines Bossuet's understanding of the concept of God's will and its lack of suitability for Tocqueville's argument, and the Jansenist tradition expressed in the works of Pascal. The article discusses what is called Tocqueville's moral strategy of reconciling the French to equality and action in the structure given to them by Providence. The article also examines the influence of Jansenism on Tocqueville.
- Subjects
DIVINE providence; DEMOCRACY in America (Book : de Tocqueville); TOCQUEVILLE, Alexis de, 1805-1859; PASCAL, Blaise, 1623-1662; JANSENISM (Christianity); BOSSUET, Jacques Benigne, 1627-1704; WILL of God; EQUALITY; POLITICAL philosophy; PHILOSOPHY of Christianity; FRENCH history; ERA of Good Feelings, United States, 1815-1825
- Publication
Tocqueville Review -- La Revue Tocqueville, 2012, Vol 33, Issue 2, p167
- ISSN
0730-479X
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1353/toc.2012.0015