Q0419
“Democratic societies have a natural taste for liberty.” — Alexis de Tocqueville (Democracy in America)
Verified English quotation. Primary source: Democracy in America. Theme: society.
English
Democratic societies have a natural taste for liberty.
Source and attribution
The archive attributes this English wording to Democracy in America and files it under Political Liberalism. That locator distinguishes the passage from loose internet attributions: readers can return to the named work or section to check translation, surrounding argument, and edition-specific wording.
About Alexis de Tocqueville
Alexis de Tocqueville (1805–1859) was a French aristocrat, magistrate, and political thinker whose Democracy in America interpreted the United States as the advance guard of modern equality. An 1831 journey ostensibly studying prisons yielded a classic of political sociology.
How to read this passage
Social philosophy asks how individuals and collectives constitute each other, and what justice requires of shared life. This passage enters that discussion through society.
Concepts in this quote
- Society
- Society is the web of institutions, customs, and mutual expectations in which individual freedom takes shape.
How to cite this quotation
APA: Alexis de Tocqueville. (n.d.). Democratic societies have a natural taste for liberty. In Philosophy Blind Box. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0419
MLA: Alexis de Tocqueville. “Democratic societies have a natural taste for liberty..” Philosophy Blind Box, https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0419.
Chicago: Alexis de Tocqueville. “Democratic societies have a natural taste for liberty..” Philosophy Blind Box. Accessed 2026. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0419.
Frequently asked questions
What is the source of the quotation “Democratic societies have a natural taste for liberty.”?
The passage is attributed to Alexis de Tocqueville, Democracy in America. The archive attributes this English wording to Democracy in America and files it under Political Liberalism. That locator distinguishes the passage from loose internet attributions: readers can return to the named work or section to check translation, surrounding argument, and edition-specific wording.
What does Alexis de Tocqueville mean by society?
Social philosophy asks how individuals and collectives constitute each other, and what justice requires of shared life. This passage enters that discussion through society.