Cultural Democracy
Democracy in America: Individualism and Materialism.
Volume 1 concentrates on the influence on democratic social state on laws and political mores. * Democracy in America * Impressed and optimistic
Volume 2 concentrates on the influence of democratic social state on civil society and culture. * Democracy as such. * Apprehensive and gloomy.
Volume II Part I:
Chapter 1: On the Philosophic method of the Americans * “It is religion that gave birth to the Anglo-American societies: one must never forget this; in the United States religion is therefore intermingled with all national habits and all the sentiments to which a native country gives birth; that gives it a particular strength.” – pg 405-406. * “In the United States, Christian sects vary infinitely and are constantly modified, but Christianity itself is an established and irresistible fact that no one undertakes either to attack or defend.” * “men who live in the new societies will often make use of their individual reason; but I am far from believing that they will often abuse it.” * T insists that Americans above all people are in possession of an innate philosophical method – they are completely consistently philosophical people. * They tacitly adhere to one particular philosopher: Descartes. * Americans are all Cartesians because they don’t trust anyone else’s reason. * Descartes: * How do I know that what I know is true? * You can’t trust received opinions. * How about my senses? * No. What if I’m dreaming? What if an evil devil tricks me? * Conclusion: I may not know anything. * Relevant themes of Descartes Meditations: * Radical Skepticism: I can’t trust others. I can’t trust my senses. * Certainly found only in the self: the only thing I can be sure of is that I exist and that I think. (I think therefore I am) * Methodical: from that certainty, I can build up a rational
Volume 1 concentrates on the influence on democratic social state on laws and political mores. * Democracy in America * Impressed and optimistic
Volume 2 concentrates on the influence of democratic social state on civil society and culture. * Democracy as such. * Apprehensive and gloomy.
Volume II Part I:
Chapter 1: On the Philosophic method of the Americans * “It is religion that gave birth to the Anglo-American societies: one must never forget this; in the United States religion is therefore intermingled with all national habits and all the sentiments to which a native country gives birth; that gives it a particular strength.” – pg 405-406. * “In the United States, Christian sects vary infinitely and are constantly modified, but Christianity itself is an established and irresistible fact that no one undertakes either to attack or defend.” * “men who live in the new societies will often make use of their individual reason; but I am far from believing that they will often abuse it.” * T insists that Americans above all people are in possession of an innate philosophical method – they are completely consistently philosophical people. * They tacitly adhere to one particular philosopher: Descartes. * Americans are all Cartesians because they don’t trust anyone else’s reason. * Descartes: * How do I know that what I know is true? * You can’t trust received opinions. * How about my senses? * No. What if I’m dreaming? What if an evil devil tricks me? * Conclusion: I may not know anything. * Relevant themes of Descartes Meditations: * Radical Skepticism: I can’t trust others. I can’t trust my senses. * Certainly found only in the self: the only thing I can be sure of is that I exist and that I think. (I think therefore I am) * Methodical: from that certainty, I can build up a rational