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Democratic Thought Vs Democracy

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The Democratic thought/Democracy will be understood if we dissect the contrasting views of Modern thinkers (Tocqueville, Montesquieu, Keynes, and Hayek) and the Social Contract thinkers (Hobbes, Locke, and Rousseau). Also history will tell that after a long monarchial or authoritarian rule, people revolted and seek for freedom then move towards democracy. Origins of Democratic thought will be traced on how government and human’s rationality would evolve. According to Hobbes (1651) human beings are by nature made equal; they possess equal skills and strength. State of Nature is a state of war. In state of nature, man is nasty, brutish, poor, solitary, and rude (Hobbes, 1651). All humans possessing equal skills and strength will fight for their …show more content…

After the revolution, states begin to move towards democracy. It is irresistible because it’s a new system, disempowered the monarchial rule and it favored the people who like individual liberty and equality. The mode of production is change to capitalism where ideas are the capital not land. It pace out territorial elites because land become obsolete. Manufacturing elites begin to emerge. Manufacturing elites are the one that wealth is depending on production. They have the ideas and skills that are marketable and employable. The discourse of democratic thought will circulate on the key factors or components of democracy: equality, liberty, freedom and law. Modern Thinkers give contrasting views on the scope and intent of each. According to Tocqueville (1848), democratic nations love equality more than liberty. He believed democracy as a dynamic process which required equality of conditions. Equality will be achieved if the differences were reduced or eliminated. The first and most intense passion which is endangered by the equality of condition is the love of the same equality (Ebenstein & Ebenstein, 1990). Equality of condition of Tocqueville is not literal about material equality but universal assumption that no significance was to be accorded in any apparent difference – material, social or personal. Men will be free because they will be all equal. Political equality and Economic equality are irreconcilable. Political equality talks about political participation of the people – suffrage and running in position – while economic equality is about wealth, wages and material things. Equality in both areas is considered a dangerous error because people are not equal and have differences. People will never be equal. But we can create equal playing field where all have equal opportunities. The problem that Tocqueville sees in equality and democracy is the tyranny of majority. A majority taken collectively may regarded as a being

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