Tocqueville and the American Experiment

By: William R. Cook, The Great Courses

Narrated by: William R. Cook

Length: 12 hrs and 22 mins

Publisher's summary

Participate in a spirited exploration of Alexis de Tocqueville and his unique observations of this young nation that resulted in the two volumes of Democracy in America. How is it possible that perhaps the greatest book about U.S. democracy ever written was penned by a Frenchman visiting this country 175 years ago? Why is it still relevant in today's ever-changing political landscape?

Tocqueville, a 25-year-old French nobleman who journeyed here in 1831, wanted to observe firsthand the successful political experiment that was evolving in the United States and take his findings home to France, which was itself trying to shape its own young democracy. The remarkable book that resulted has been called both the best book ever written about democracy and the best book ever written about America.

Published in two parts, one in 1835 and the second in 1840, it reveals, in its 700 pages, insights about democracy and the American character that have led both liberals and conservatives to claim Tocqueville as their own, often by citing the very same passages, and often out of context. Over the course of 24 spirited lectures, Professor Cook leads you on an engaging and energetic discussion on Tocqueville, his journey, his writing of Democracy in America and, most of all, his thoughts on the young nation he was observing.

You'll learn what Tocqueville had to say about the meaning of family in a democracy, race and the damage done by slavery, the crucial role of women, religion as a moral guide, the dangers of turning religion to political ends, and more. Today, Tocqueville can be both a guide and a reminder of the cultural context in which democratic institutions can develop and flourish.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.

©2004 The Teaching Company, LLC (P)2004 The Great Courses

Interesting content. Annoying lecturer

General outline of de Tocqueville’s Democracy in America was fine. However the lecturer spent much too much time talking about himself and his village in upstate New York. I found that annoying.

everyone should hear this!

great course! everyone need to take this course. very informative and interesting. listen to the course you will not be sorry.

Tocqueville Remains Relevant.

This lecture series was recorded in the early 2000s, but—with very few exceptions—the questions, insights and applications of Dr Cook’s analysis remain vital. This lecture series is—much like Tocqueville’s master work itself—timeless.

I was particularly intrigued by Dr Cook’s presentation on Tocqueville’s analysis of race relations. Cook incorporated some of Dr. Cornel West’s assessment of Tocqueville in that chapter.

That chapter, and the whole series gives you much to think about, no matter your own attitude toward democracy or political affiliation, you’ll profit from listening to this series.

Fantastic Course

I have read many US History books that quote Alexis de Tocqueville, but I understood very little about him. I am WOWed by him now. What an intellect! I now know why he matters.

The best course I've listened to

I think this is the best course I've listened to from "The Great Courses". The lecturer seemed interested in the topic, gave a lot of great modern day examples to help me understand the original work, and also quoted the book frequently. Now that I'm going through "Democracy in America" for the first time, this lecture series has helped me understand it much better than if I had gone through it without having listened to this course.

great course!

great course! in depth and very important for our current polarized era. great proffesor!

Excellent! Very good links with the present

Fantastic performance. Deep and entertaining at the same time. Notable explanations of the concept of local democracy by examples of present day towns' decision making.

Terrific Topic In Need Of A Redo

Tocqueville in America is a fantastic and relevant topic for today. This specific course is adequate but desperately needs updating.

The professor is a medievalist who ran for public office. A medievalist? His political views are prominent throughout the course. His voice can be a little grating and at times it seems like he’s yelling. I’m sure this is his natural conversation style but it can be off putting.

The significant negatives aside it’s worth listening to if you are unfamiliar to Tocqueville.

Terrific Overview of Tocqueviile's Masterpiece

I consider myself a tough critic of political commentary, but in this course I thought Professor Cook did an amazing job of presenting a well-organized and thoughtful analysis of de Tocqueville's extraordinary "Democracy in America." Cook seems to have made the study of this work one of the focuses of his academic career, and his presentation includes many relevant facts that are not included in the book itself but are very helpful in understanding how de Tocqueville arrived at some of his conclusions and how, in some cases, he might have been mislead by relying on incomplete or inaccurate assumptions about the county he was traveling through. Cook also sprinkles in a number of personal anecdotes to illustrate the practical implications of some of de Tocqueville's observations and for the most part I found those anecdotes helpful and not distracting. I also felt Cook's presentation was free from any obvious personal political biases. Even of someone feels the need to read the original work (which at this point I do not, although I am considering buying a copy of the book to refer to from time to time), I would recommend listening to this presentation first since I suspect doing so would sharpen the reader's ability to think critically about what they were reading. I tremendously enjoyed this course.

Professor Cook speaks with enthusiasm and at a pace that seemed appropriate for the material -- i.e, fast enough to retain the listener's interest but not so fast that the material could not be absorbed. So four stars for the vocal performance.

Fascinating

Having heard of the man but never read his book, I thoroughly enjoyed this lecture series. Some valuable insights into democracy that are applicable to the modern world we live in. One of my favorites is the idea that equality does not ( or at least, should not) equal uniformity.
The professor does a great job making Tocqueville relatable, and has a great delivery.
Takes a while to get through all the lectures, but well worth it.