Alexis de Tocqueville: Selected Letters on Politics and Society

This title opens a new window into the life and thought of Alexis de Tocqueville, presenting him as not only a political thinker but also a person deeply shaped by the tensions and ideals of his time. Known for Democracy in America, Tocqueville’s insights into American democracy have often overshadowed his reflections on French society, friendship, and personal struggles. This compilation of letters, many unpublished in English before, spans his political career, his friendships, and his inner conflicts, revealing his ongoing battle between intellectual ideals and the harsh realities of the political landscape. His letters bring to light a Tocqueville who was both drawn to political action and increasingly disillusioned by the self-serving nature of his era’s middle class.

Tocqueville’s correspondence reveals a figure influenced by both Enlightenment rationalism and Romanticism’s emphasis on feeling and individuality. While often critical of Romantic melancholy, he was himself plagued by existential doubt and frustration over the limited impact of his political actions. He viewed society’s growing emphasis on materialism and self-interest as symptoms of a broader decline, leaving him torn between admiration for civic virtues and disappointment in the era’s lack of ambition. Religion and friendship emerge as stabilizing forces in his life, with his close bond with Gustave de Beaumont standing out as a source of both comfort and challenge. The letters show how Tocqueville’s personal relationships and ethical convictions shaped his intellectual pursuits and his concerns for France’s future.

The editors, Roger Boesche and James Toupin, present these letters with careful translation and thorough contextual notes, giving readers both the historical background and access to Tocqueville’s unique literary style. The work provides readers with a portrait of a man wrestling with the challenges of his age, caught between democratic ideals and the evolving reality of French society. For modern readers, these letters illuminate how Tocqueville’s personal struggles informed his enduring political insights, highlighting his belief in community and civic duty as essential defenses against tyranny.

This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press’s mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived makes high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once again using print-on-demand technology. This title was originally published in 1985.