Tocqueville and Lincoln on Slavery

Abstract

Alexis de Tocqueville and Abraham Lincoln held nearly identical views on the evils of American slavery but used different arguments against it. In Democracy in America, Tocqueville analyzed slavery chiefly from the standpoint of material self-interest. Although he occasionally condemned slavery as a violation of the laws and rights of humanity, he never explained his meaning or mentioned the Declaration. Tocqueville adopted a similar approach in France’s Caribbean colonies, appealing primarily to considerations of interest. When reaching for grander principles, he invoked France’s glorious fight for liberty, with Christianity playing an auxiliary role. By contrast, Lincoln made the principles of the Declaration central to his fight against slavery. Although he, too, recognized the importance of self-interest, he insisted that it be guided by the Declaration’s principles. Neither, however, relied on rational arguments alone. Each in his own way raised the question of Providence in bringing about democratic justice and liberty.