In God We Trust? Tocqueville on the Challenges Facing Liberal Democracy Today

Abstract

Abstract:I argue that revisiting Alexis de Tocqueville’s interpretation of the role of religion in maintaining civil liberties in democracies allows for a more nuanced understanding of the crisis that liberal democracy finds itself in around the world. I use Christopher Lasch to link this insight with the Identity Politics theories that attempt to explicate our current predicament, and contrast the function assigned religion in rightwing movements today with Tocqueville’s understanding of its salutary function.