Memoir on Pauperism
Immediately after completing the first volume of Democracy in America, Alexis de Tocqueville wrote his Memoir on Pauperism. It was inspired by a visit to England two years earlier and was surely in his mind while he was writing Democracy. In the "Memoir," Tocqueville seeks to understand why the most impoverished countries of Europe in his time have the fewest paupers, while the most opulent country, England, has the most. He finds that England’s public charity—possible because of its successful economy—has produced a pauper class: the unforeseen and unfortunate consequences of good intentions. By removing the necessity for work, public charity breeds other miseries. Here in book form for the first time, Tocqueville’s "Memoir" still resonates in our postindustrial society. As Gertrude Himmelfarb notes in her introduction, "We can see the shadow of our chronically dependent 'underclass’ in Tocqueville’s description of the pauper class…. We can also, today more than ever, appreciate Tocqueville’s criticism of public charity as a legal right—an 'entitlement,’ as we now say." This cogent Memoir on Pauperism is a notable contribution to the idea of civil society.
PUBLIC WELFARE_GREAT BRITAINPOOR LAWSCHARITIES_GREAT BRITAIN
RELEASED1997
PUBLISHERIvan R. Dee
LENGTH81
LANGUAGEEN
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Alexis de TocquevilleFrench political thinker and historian, minister of Foreign Affairs (1805-1859)
Alexis Charles Henri Clérel, comte de Tocqueville (29 July 1805 – 16 April 1859), colloquially known as Tocqueville, was a French aristocrat, diplomat, political scientist and historian. He is best known for his works *Democracy in America* (appearing in two volumes, 1835 and 1840) and *The Old Regime and the Revolution* (1856). In both, he analysed the improved living standards and social conditions of individuals as well as their relationship to the market and state in Western societies. Democracy in America was published after Tocqueville's travels in the United States and is today considered an early work of sociology and political science. Tocqueville was active in French politics, first under the July Monarchy (1830–1848) and then during the Second Republic (1849–1851) which succeeded the February 1848 Revolution. He retired from political life after Louis Napoléon Bonaparte's 2 December 1851 coup and thereafter began work on *The Old Regime and the Revolution*. Tocqueville argued the importance of the French Revolution was to continue the process of modernizing and centralizing the French state which had begun under King Louis XIV. The failure of the Revolution came from the inexperience of the deputies who were too wedded to abstract Enlightenment ideals. Tocqueville was a classical liberal who advocated parliamentary government and was skeptical of the extremes of democracy. During his time in parliament, he sat on the centre-left, but the complex and restless nature of his liberalism has led to contrasting interpretations and admirers across the political spectrum. Regarding his political position, Tocqueville wrote "the word 'left' is... the word I wanted to attach to my name so that it would remain attached to it forever." **Source**: [Alexis de Tocqueville](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexis_de_Tocqueville) on Wikipedia.
Memoir on Pauperism
Immediately after completing the first volume of Democracy in America, Alexis de Tocqueville wrote his Memoir on Pauperism. It was inspired by a visit to England two years earlier and was surely in his mind while he was writing Democracy. In the "Memoir," Tocqueville seeks to understand why the most impoverished countries of Europe in his time have the fewest paupers, while the most opulent country, England, has the most. He finds that England’s public charity—possible because of its successful economy—has produced a pauper class: the unforeseen and unfortunate consequences of good intentions. By removing the necessity for work, public charity breeds other miseries. Here in book form for the first time, Tocqueville’s "Memoir" still resonates in our postindustrial society. As Gertrude Himmelfarb notes in her introduction, "We can see the shadow of our chronically dependent 'underclass’ in Tocqueville’s description of the pauper class…. We can also, today more than ever, appreciate Tocqueville’s criticism of public charity as a legal right—an 'entitlement,’ as we now say." This cogent Memoir on Pauperism is a notable contribution to the idea of civil society.
PUBLIC WELFARE_GREAT BRITAINPOOR LAWSCHARITIES_GREAT BRITAIN
RELEASED1997
PUBLISHERIvan R. Dee
LENGTH81
LANGUAGEEN
Alexis de TocquevilleFrench political thinker and historian, minister of Foreign Affairs (1805-1859)
Alexis Charles Henri Clérel, comte de Tocqueville (29 July 1805 – 16 April 1859), colloquially known as Tocqueville, was a French aristocrat, diplomat, political scientist and historian. He is best known for his works *Democracy in America* (appearing in two volumes, 1835 and 1840) and *The Old Regime and the Revolution* (1856). In both, he analysed the improved living standards and social conditions of individuals as well as their relationship to the market and state in Western societies. Democracy in America was published after Tocqueville's travels in the United States and is today considered an early work of sociology and political science. Tocqueville was active in French politics, first under the July Monarchy (1830–1848) and then during the Second Republic (1849–1851) which succeeded the February 1848 Revolution. He retired from political life after Louis Napoléon Bonaparte's 2 December 1851 coup and thereafter began work on *The Old Regime and the Revolution*. Tocqueville argued the importance of the French Revolution was to continue the process of modernizing and centralizing the French state which had begun under King Louis XIV. The failure of the Revolution came from the inexperience of the deputies who were too wedded to abstract Enlightenment ideals. Tocqueville was a classical liberal who advocated parliamentary government and was skeptical of the extremes of democracy. During his time in parliament, he sat on the centre-left, but the complex and restless nature of his liberalism has led to contrasting interpretations and admirers across the political spectrum. Regarding his political position, Tocqueville wrote "the word 'left' is... the word I wanted to attach to my name so that it would remain attached to it forever." **Source**: [Alexis de Tocqueville](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexis_de_Tocqueville) on Wikipedia.
