危险的本能——托克维尔论民主社会中的个人主义问题

A Dangerous Instinct:Tocqueville's Understanding of Individualism in the Democratic Society

托克维尔揭示出,由条件平等的民主社会状态塑造出的个人主义本能会给自由带来"温和专制"的危险。托克维尔提出政治自由、正确理解的个人利益原则等方案,通过在民主社会中重新确立公共意识、公民精神和社会纽带,以克服个人主义以及维护民主社会中的自由。托克维尔对个人主义的分析暴露出了民主社会中的内在问题,而他所提出的克服个人主义的方案又表明,只有通过政治技艺才能实现民主社会中平等与自由的和谐关系。

Tocqueville reveals that the instinct of individualism shaped by democratic social conditions will threaten human freedom with soft despotism.In order to counteract individualism and defend human freedom in democracy,Tocqueville proposes association and the principle of self-interests properly understood to reconstruct public awareness,civic virtue and social bonds.The analysis of individualism by Tocqueville shows the intrinsic problems of democracy,and his proposal indicates that equality and liberty can be compatible with each other by means of political arts in democracy.