2005 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary
Tocpueville and Two Models of Democracy : A Comparative Historical Study of American and French political Cultures
| Project/Area Number |
16530089
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
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| Allocation Type | Single-year Grants |
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| Section | 一般 |
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| Research Field |
Politics
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| Research Institution | Waseda University |
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Principal Investigator |
MATSUMOTO Reiji Waseda University, Faculty of Education and Integrated Arts and Sciences, Professor, 教育・総合科学学術院, 教授 (30013022)
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| Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) |
YOSHINO Takashi Waseda University, Faculty of Political Science and Economics, Professor, 政治経済学術院, 教授 (00158487)
KAWAGISHI Norikazu Waseda University, Faculty of Political Science and Economics, Professor, 政治経済学術院, 教授 (10224742)
YAZAWA Masashi Waseda University, Faculty of Political Science and Economics, Associate Professor, 政治経済学術院, 助教授 (20267454)
FURUYA Jun Hokkaido University, Graduate School of Law, Professor, 大学院・法学研究科, 教授 (90091488)
NAKANO Katsuro Hosei University, School of Law, Professor, 法学部, 教授 (70212090)
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| Project Period (FY) |
2004 – 2005
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| Keywords | Democracy / Tocqueville / America / France / Liberalism / Republicanism / Anti-Americanism / War |
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| Research Abstract |
The aim of this research is to Compare in the light of Tocqueville's political theory two types of modern democracy, the French and the American, and to examine m the historical development of the two Countries the various aspects of the opposition and interaction of the two models. The following issues are particularly addressed : the French view of America since Tocqueville and the rise of anti-Americanism in the 20^<th> Century, the French reaction to American liberalism, the historical transformation of the United States in the 20^<th> Century as a result of its becoming a global power, and Tocqueville moments in contemporary political discourses in both countries.
Principal discoveries and findings acquired through the two years research are :
(1)In spite of the long history of Franco-American friendship since the tame of the American Revolution, the American commitment to Europe and the rise of the United States as a global power caused in the 20^<th> century a negative reaction of
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the French people and the Cold War in particular nurtured the anti-Americanism of intellectuals.
(2)Tocqueville's theory of democracy invites various new readings in terms of this great transformation of the world. In the United States, the increasing political influence of religious groups, growing economic inequality, the decrease of "social capital", the decline of public sphere, and other recent tendencies of American society forced public philosophers and social scientists to reconsider Tocqueville's description of America and his theory of democracy.
(3)In France, Tocqueville's severe critique of French political culture has, for the first time since his death, been taken seriously and attracted a big audience. It is an aspect of French reception of Anglo-Saxon liberalism. However, Tocqueville is also used by many people as a reference for criticizing America.
(4)In contemporary political philosophy, there is a difference between the American use of Tocqueville and the French reading of his text In the United States, Tocqueville is mainly referred to in the republican or the oommunitarian context, while, in France, he is allotted an important role in the liberal revision of French republicanism.
(5)Some of Tocqueville's warnings about the dangerous tendencies of 19^<th> century French democracy seem to be more relevant in the present world to the United States than to France. Less
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