Volume II, Book Two, Chapter I: Why Democratic Nations Show a More Ardent and Enduring Love of Equality than of Liberty
Alexis de Tocqueville
Tocqueville saw democracy's paradox: the passion for equality often surpasses the desire for liberty itself. In the early 19th century, the backdrop of the French Revolution loomed large, a time when calls for égalité led to Reign of Terror's suppression of freedom. He warns that the hunger for equality can rival the thirst for freedom, even accepting despotism if it promises equal footing. For Tocqueville, this duality is both the allure and the peril of democratic societies.