De Tocqueville and the conservative movement

The characterization of Alexis de Tocqueville is complex as conservative or liberal.
Edmund Burke has thereby resembled in this respect. Best, understanding both as liberal
‘’conservatives’’ – figures both camps were mixed up by who. Regarding dimensions that are
specific, inclusive of aristocracy attitudes, wealth, colonialism, majority tyranny, pluralism and
history meaning, they are remarkably the same (Michaelis, 6). According to their thinking,
liberals and conservatives rapprochement is foreshadowed in the latter half reflected in the 20 th
century in the fame of right-of-centre leaders and functions in the work of corresponding thinkers
of politics in the likes of Michael Oakeshott and Raymond Aron.

In the 19 th century, opposites were how liberalism and conservatism stood, branching the
spectrum of politics. Then, socialism growing appeal to the left and ideologies of authority to the
right resulted in the fracturing of both. Leftwards movements of liberals into halfway house L. T
Hobhouse known as ‘’social liberalism’’ was experienced in the early and late stages of the 20 th
and 19 th centuries. On the other hand, conservatives progressed to the right, further practising
fascism, integral nationalism and imperialism (Bonin, 8). Liberals were practising socialism and

disillusionment while conservatives practising extremism of right-wing more recently caused
rapprochement. Elements of blending of centre-right parties of politics of both cultures have
charmed colossal fan base in the entire west, and theorizers of politics like Michael Oakeshott,
Raymond Aron and the neo-conservatives of America have appeared as their counterparts
intellectually. In essential aspects, a prefigurement of the design of the ground of this
convergence regarding the reasoning of Edmund Burke and Alexis de Tocqueville. They are both
fully fit also in either group. Therefore people looked upon them as odd and out in their times.

References

Bonin, Hugo. "Friend or foe? British receptions of Tocqueville’s Democracy in America,
1835–1885." British Politics (2021): 1-19.

Michaelis-Law, Daniel. The Calgary School through the lens of Alexis de Tocqueville. Diss.
Concordia University, 2020.