Tocqueville viewed democracy not only as a political regime, but, above all, as an intellectual regime that shapes a society’s customs in general, thereby giving it a sociological and psychological dimension. Democratic regimes, Tocqueville argued, determine our thoughts, desires, and passions.
托克维克认为民主不仅仅是一种政治制度，而首先是一种在总体上划定社会习惯的智识制度，因此也就具备社会和心理特性。托克维克主张，民主制度决定我们的思想、欲望和激情。正如先前文艺复兴式的博学之人以及二十世纪的苏维埃人种，“民主人种”也是人种之一。