From French Revoulotion To American Township Self-Government

Revolution opened up a new era, heralding a new society, and it is to build a new order.However, Tocqueville observes that this new society, bringing with it′s power which cannotbe halted, has a amazing burst in France, rushing and destroying everything. This new societyjust is the "democratic society", and this force just is the democratic and equal strength. Sothe"French dilemma" caused by the French Revolution, is not a special problem, but is anuniversal problem of "social democracy" that is rooted in "the source principle" and "thesource of the facts". Tocqueville determines to explore the "nature"(nature) of the "newsociety"–Democratic "natural". If the destructive force and the dilemma caused by theRevolution in France is the performance of "new society", the new democratic society in theUnited States of America shows more it′s other side--Democratic" Janus" faces! Afterinvestigating the American society, Tocqueville gives a high praise on American social andpolitical structure, especially the township autonomy, which has strong free color, thatTocqueville admires more. American society is like a mirror, it reflects democracy andfreedom of American society, and at the same time, it also reflects the French Society′s reallquestion—the lost of freedom, especially the lost of local freedom. Throughout the eighteenthCentury′s power change pattern, America is gradually approaching the world center of power,while France is gradually falling into a marginalized embarrassing, when the old nobility′sefforts that tries to put history clock back to pre-Revolutionary ruling status, and the attemptsthat conservative tries to establish constitutional monarchy in france, following the exampleof Britain, are unsuccessful, Tocqueville finally finds the ideal political blueprint in the otherside of the ocean for France and other democratic countries.In this article, the author attempts to study the pre-revolutionary French social status aswell as factors which maintain the American township autonomy system with strong freecolor, and to summarize how the local autonomy that takes American township autonomy as arepresentative, helps society to walk out of the dilemmas of democracy.This paper consists ofintroduction, text, conclusion and acknowledgement in three parts. In the introduction, theauthor mainly introduces the research situation at home and abroad about Tocqueville′sthought, theoretical innovation, method of writing and other content, and for body part, theauthor mainly demonstrates and explains in three parts:The first part, the analysis of France dilemma after the French Revolution. In this part, the author mainly introduces the pre-revolutionary France social status, refutes the speech thatthe French Revolution created a centralized system, which spreads in the ideological circle ofFrance at that time, and points out that the pre-revolutionary France actually is a democraticsociety which has lost local freedom, and is a society which is filled with a privilege anddivided into different social classes. Social stratification and privilege′s existence ignitespeople to overthrow the old system, and strive for equal enthusiasm, the old system buildingdisappears quicklly under the rush of people’s powerful strength and the passion that isdifficult to curb. However, the old system′s die doesn′t bring liberty and prosperity to France,on the contrary, the French Revolution brings France from a totalitarian society into a moreauthoritarian society, which is filled with chaos.The second part, the American township autonomy system. Fristly, by studying theestablishment of the American township autonomy system, the author analysises the twodecisive factors: commercial and religion, which occupy an important position in the buildingof the township autonomy system. Beginning with these two seemingly contradictory factors,the author analysises the inevitability of implementing township autonomy system in In thebeginning of the establishment of the colony, also points out it is the two factors that forceBritish Americans to leave their hometown for tough new continent, and the two factors playa role in mutual promotion and restriction during the establishment and maintenance oftownship autonomy system.Compared with the strong central, how can small townships maintain their politicalfreedom? This issue causes ocqueville′s deep ponder. In addition to the religious andcommercial factors, a self-governing British tradition also has played an important role in theprocess of the establishment and maintenance of the American township autonomy, manyAmerican laws and systems are derived from the old mainlang England. So starting with theself-governing British traditions, it is not difficult to understand that why the BritishAmericans loved freedom and local autonomous so much. During this process, the principleof people’s sovereignty also palys an important role. These factors work together inmaintaining freedom of township autonomy.The third part, the save of township free to democratic society crisis. Democratic societybrings identity equality, but the excessive love for identity will lead to the dilemmas ofDemocracy: on the one hand, the single people′s excessive worship to individual rationalidolatry causes alienation between person and person; on the other hand, the excessive interest to material leads to people′s political indifference. The two disharmonious factors indemocratic society will ultimately bring society into a democratic dictatorship, and impedethe development of society. On one hand, the appearance of township autonomy helps thepublic to participate in politics and train their public awareness and cultivate their politicalquality, but also against violations of the central powers to personal freedom, it ensures therealization of personal freedom.