adamant form of equality seen in the phenomenon of slavery vividly represents the Negro as democracy in extremis. Tocqueville further strengthens the analogy by suggesting that, due to the extremity of in the Negro, also affected by some of equality’s manifestation he’s more pervasive, intangible effects. Thus, though an American should (and today democracy’s usually would) find the comparison reprehensible, Tocqueville suggests the psyche of the enslaved Negro the psyche of the democratic individual in a dark mirror. Precisely because is this is such a hard truth to absorb, Tocqueville requires an extended metaphor to capture and express it. The Negro stands completely at the mercy of the tyranny and the omnipotence of the majority in democratic society. Existing within the system he allegorizes, the Negro not only serves as symbol for democracy but also serves to reveal certain commanding features of that system. The figure of the slave illustrates both physical power and even more democracy’s importantly, the way democracy configures the minds or psyches of the individuals that compose it. Tocqueville writes that in the democratic a force that is moral as well as majority, “is vested material, which shapes wills as much as actions and inhibits not only deeds but also the desire to Tocqueville describes the is capable of do them” (293). majority’s effectual arm—which physically restraining minority freedom in the polity—as the tyranny of the majority. He writes: majority of a people has the right to do He characterizes this “the absolutely anything” (288). majority as individual with opinions and, more often than not, interests contrary to those of “an another individual known as the and poses the are willing minority,” following question: “if you to concede that a man to whom omnipotence has been granted can abuse it to the detriment of his adversaries, why will you not concede that the same may be true of a majority?” (288-289). Through the enslavement of the Negro, we see characterization of the majority as Tocqueville’s
adamant form of equality seen in the phenomenon of slavery vividly represents the Negro as democracy in extremis. Tocqueville further strengthens the analogy by suggesting that, due to the extremity of equality’s manifestation in the Negro, he’s also affected by some of democracy’s more pervasive, intangible effects. Thus, though an American should (and today usually would) find the comparison reprehensible, Tocqueville suggests the psyche of the enslaved Negro is the psyche of the democratic individual in a dark mirror. Precisely because this is such a hard truth to absorb, Tocqueville requires an extended metaphor to capture and express it. The Negro stands completely at the mercy of the tyranny and the omnipotence of the majority in democratic society. Existing within the system he allegorizes, the Negro not only serves as symbol for democracy but also serves to reveal certain commanding features of that system. The figure of the slave illustrates both democracy’s physical power and even more importantly, the way democracy configures the minds or psyches of the individuals that compose it. Tocqueville writes that in the democratic majority, “is vested a force that is moral as well as material, which shapes wills as much as actions and inhibits not only deeds but also the desire to do them” (293). Tocqueville describes the majority’s effectual arm—which is capable of physically restraining minority freedom in the polity—as the tyranny of the majority. He writes: “the majority of a people has the right to do absolutely anything” (288). He characterizes this majority as “an individual with opinions and, more often than not, interests contrary to those of another individual known as the minority,” and poses the following question: “if you are willing to concede that a man to whom omnipotence has been granted can abuse it to the detriment of his adversaries, why will you not concede that the same may be true of a majority?” (288-289). Through the enslavement of the Negro, we see Tocqueville’s characterization of the majority as
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