The surface of American society is covered with a layer of democratic paint, but from time to time one can see the old aristocratic colours breaking through.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- American democracy masks underlying aristocratic tendencies that occasionally surface.
- In plain terms
- Democracy looks superficial, but old class hierarchies still exist.
- What can you take from it?
- Look beyond surface-level equality to find persistent social structures.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- What aristocratic traits do you see today?
- How does history shape current society?
Another view
This view may overlook genuine social mobility in modern times.
More from Alexis de Tocqueville
The principle of equality does not destroy the imagination, but lowers its flight to the level of the earth.
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