Itispossibletoconceiveapeoplenotsubdividedintoanycastesorscaleofranks;inwhichthelaw，recognizingnoprivileges，shoulddivideinheritedpropertyintoequalshares;
butwhich，atthesametime，shouldbewithoutknowledgeandwithoutfreedom。Noristhisanemptyhypothesis:adespotmayfindthatitishisinteresttorenderhissubjectsequalandtoleavethemignorant，inordermoreeasilytokeepthemslaves。
Notonlywouldademocraticpeopleofthiskindshowneitheraptitudenortasteforscience，literature，orart，butitwouldprobablyneverarriveatthepossessionofthem。Thelawofdescentwouldofitselfprovideforthedestructionoffortunesateachsucceedinggeneration;andnewfortuneswouldbeacquiredbynone。Thepoorman，withouteitherknowledgeorfreedom，wouldnotsomuchasconceivetheideaofraisinghimselftowealth;andtherichmanwouldallowhimselftobedegradedtopoverty，withoutanotionofself—defence。Betweenthesetwomembersofthecommunitycompleteandinvincibleequalitywouldsoonbeestablished。
Noonewouldthenhavetimeortastetodevotehimselftothepursuitsorpleasuresoftheintellect;butallmenwouldremainparalyzedbyastateofcommonignoranceandequalservitude。WhenIconceiveademocraticsocietyofthiskind，I
fancymyselfinoneofthoselow，close，andgloomyabodes，wherethelightwhichbreaksinfromwithoutsoonfaintsandfadesaway。Asuddenheavinessoverpowersme，andIgropethroughthesurroundingdarkness，tofindtheaperturewhichwillrestoremetodaylightandtheair。
Butallthisisnotapplicabletomenalreadyenlightenedwhoretaintheirfreedom，afterhavingabolishedfromamongstthemthosepeculiarandhereditaryrightswhichperpetuatedthetenureofpropertyinthehandsofcertainindividualsorcertainbodies。Whenmenlivinginademocraticstateofsocietyareenlightened，theyreadilydiscoverthattheyareconfinedandfixedwithinnolimitswhichconstrainthemtotakeupwiththeirpresentfortune。Theyallthereforeconceivetheideaofincreasingit;iftheyarefree，theyallattemptit，butalldonotsucceedinthesamemanner。Thelegislature，itistrue，nolongergrantsprivileges，buttheyarebestowedbynature。Asnaturalinequalityisverygreat，fortunesbecomeunequalassoonaseverymanexertsallhisfacultiestogetrich。Thelawofdescentpreventstheestablishmentofwealthyfamilies;butitdoesnotpreventtheexistenceofwealthyindividuals。Itconstantlybringsbackthemembersofthecommunitytoacommonlevel，fromwhichtheyasconstantlyescape:andtheinequalityoffortunesaugmentsinproportionasknowledgeisdiffusedandlibertyincreased。
Asectwhicharoseinourtime，andwascelebratedforitstalentsanditsextravagance，proposedtoconcentrateallpropertyintothehandsofacentralpower，whosefunctionitshouldafterwardsbetoparcelitouttoindividuals，accordingtotheircapacity。Thiswouldhavebeenamethodofescapingfromthatcompleteandeternalequalitywhichseemstothreatendemocraticsociety。Butitwouldbeasimplerandlessdangerousremedytograntnoprivilegetoany，givingtoallequalcultivationandequalindependence，andleavingeveryonetodeterminehisownposition。Naturalinequalitywillverysoonmakewayforitself，andwealthwillspontaneouslypassintothehandsofthemostcapable。
Freeanddemocraticcommunities，then，willalwayscontainaconsiderablenumberofpeopleenjoyingopulenceorcompetency。
Thewealthywillnotbesocloselylinkedtoeachotherasthemembersoftheformeraristocraticclassofsociety:theirpropensitieswillbedifferent，andtheywillscarcelyeverenjoyleisureassecureorascomplete:buttheywillbefarmorenumerousthanthosewhobelongedtothatclassofsocietycouldeverbe。Thesepersonswillnotbestrictlyconfinedtothecaresofpracticallife，andtheywillstillbeable，thoughindifferentdegrees，toindulgeinthepursuitsandpleasuresoftheintellect。Inthosepleasurestheywillindulge;forifitbetruethatthehumanmindleansononesidetothenarrow，thepractical，andtheuseful，itnaturallyrisesontheothertotheinfinite，thespiritual，andthebeautiful。Physicalwantsconfineittotheearth;but，assoonasthetieisloosened，itwillunbenditselfagain。
Notonlywillthenumberofthosewhocantakeaninterestintheproductionsofthemindbeenlarged，butthetasteforintellectualenjoymentwilldescend，stepbystep，eventothosewho，inaristocraticsocieties，seemtohaveneithertimenorabilitytoinindulgeinthem。Whenhereditarywealth，theprivilegesofrank，andtheprerogativesofbirthhaveceasedtobe，andwheneverymanderiveshisstrengthfromhimselfalone，itbecomesevidentthatthechiefcauseofdisparitybetweenthefortunesofmenisthemind。Whatevertendstoinvigorate，toextend，ortoadornthemind，instantlyrisestogreatvalue。
Theutilityofknowledgebecomessingularlyconspicuouseventotheeyesofthemultitude:thosewhohavenotasteforitscharmssetstoreuponitsresults，andmakesomeeffortstoacquireit。
Infreeandenlighteneddemocraticages，thereisnothingtoseparatemenfromeachotherortoretainthemintheirpeculiarsphere;theyriseorsinkwithextremerapidity。Allclassesliveinperpetualintercoursefromtheirgreatproximitytoeachother。Theycommunicateandintermingleeveryday—theyimitateandenvyoneother:thissuggeststothepeoplemanyideas，notions，anddesireswhichitwouldneverhaveentertainedifthedistinctionsofrankhadbeenfixedandsocietyatrest。Insuchnationstheservantneverconsidershimselfasanentirestrangertothepleasuresandtoilsofhismaster，northepoormantothoseoftherich;theruralpopulationassimilatesitselftothatofthetowns，andtheprovincestothecapital。Nooneeasilyallowshimselftobereducedtothemerematerialcaresoflife;andthehumblestartisancastsattimesaneagerandafurtiveglanceintothehigherregionsoftheintellect。Peopledonotreadwiththesamenotionsorinthesamemannerastheydoinanaristocraticcommunity;butthecircleofreadersisunceasinglyexpanded，tillitincludesallthecitizens。
Assoonasthemultitudebeginstotakeaninterestinthelaborsofthemind，itfindsoutthattoexcelinsomeofthemisapowerfulmethodofacquiringfame，power，orwealth。Therestlessambitionwhichequalitybegetsinstantlytakesthisdirectionasitdoesallothers。Thenumberofthosewhocultivatescience，letters，andthearts，becomesimmense。Theintellectualworldstartsintoprodigiousactivity:everyoneendeavorstoopenforhimselfapaththere，andtodrawtheeyesofthepublicafterhim。SomethinganalogousoccurstowhathappensinsocietyintheUnitedStates，politicallyconsidered。
Whatisdoneisoftenimperfect，buttheattemptsareinnumerable;and，althoughtheresultsofindividualeffortarecommonlyverysmall，thetotalamountisalwaysverylarge。
Itisthereforenottruetoassertthatmenlivingindemocraticagesarenaturallyindifferenttoscience，literature，andthearts:onlyitmustbeacknowledgedthattheycultivatethemaftertheirownfashion，andbringtothetasktheirownpeculiarqualificationsanddeficiencies。
BookOne—ChaptersX—XII
ChapterX:WhyTheAmericansAreMoreAddictedToPracticalThanToTheoreticalScienceIfademocraticstateofsocietyanddemocraticinstitutionsdonotstopthecareerofthehumanmind，theyincontestablyguideitinonedirectioninpreferencetoanother。Theireffects，thuscircumscribed，arestillexceedinglygreat;andI
trustImaybepardonedifIpauseforamomenttosurveythem。
Wehadoccasion，inspeakingofthephilosophicalmethodoftheAmericanpeople，tomakeseveralremarkswhichmustherebeturnedtoaccount。
Equalitybegetsinmanthedesireofjudgingofeverythingforhimself:itgiveshim，inallthings，atasteforthetangibleandthereal，acontemptfortraditionandforforms。
Thesegeneraltendenciesareprincipallydiscernibleinthepeculiarsubjectofthischapter。Thosewhocultivatethesciencesamongstademocraticpeoplearealwaysafraidoflosingtheirwayinvisionaryspeculation。Theymistrustsystems;theyadherecloselytofactsandthestudyoffactswiththeirownsenses。Astheydonoteasilydefertothemerenameofanyfellow—man，theyareneverinclinedtorestuponanyman’sauthority;but，onthecontrary，theyareunremittingintheireffortstopointouttheweakerpointsoftheirneighbors’
opinions。Scientificprecedentshaveverylittleweightwiththem;theyareneverlongdetainedbythesubtilityoftheschools，norreadytoacceptbigwordsforsterlingcoin;theypenetrate，asfarastheycan，intotheprincipalpartsofthesubjectwhichengagesthem，andtheyexpoundtheminthevernaculartongue。Scientificpursuitsthenfollowafreerandasafercourse，butalessloftyone。
Themindmay，asitappearstome，dividescienceintothreeparts。Thefirstcomprisesthemosttheoreticalprinciples，andthosemoreabstractnotionswhoseapplicationiseitherunknownorveryremote。Thesecondiscomposedofthosegeneraltruthswhichstillbelongtopuretheory，butlead，nevertheless，byastraightandshortroadtopracticalresults。Methodsofapplicationandmeansofexecutionmakeupthethird。Eachofthesedifferentportionsofsciencemaybeseparatelycultivated，althoughreasonandexperienceshowthatnoneofthemcanprosperlong，ifitbeabsolutelycutofffromthetwoothers。
InAmericathepurelypracticalpartofscienceisadmirablyunderstood，andcarefulattentionispaidtothetheoreticalportionwhichisimmediatelyrequisitetoapplication。OnthisheadtheAmericansalwaysdisplayaclear，free，original，andinventivepowerofmind。ButhardlyanyoneintheUnitedStatesdevoteshimselftotheessentiallytheoreticalandabstractportionofhumanknowledge。InthisrespecttheAmericanscarrytoexcessatendencywhichis，Ithink，discernible，thoughinalessdegree，amongstalldemocraticnations。
Nothingismorenecessarytothecultureofthehighersciences，orofthemoreelevateddepartmentsofscience，thanmeditation;andnothingislesssuitedtomeditationthanthestructureofdemocraticsociety。Wedonotfindthere，asamongstanaristocraticpeople，oneclasswhichclingstoastateofreposebecauseitiswelloff;andanotherwhichdoesnotventuretostirbecauseitdespairsofimprovingitscondition。
Everyoneisactivelyinmotion:someinquestofpower，othersofgain。Inthemidstofthisuniversaltumult—thisincessantconflictofjarringinterests—thiscontinualstrideofmenafterfortune—whereisthatcalmtobefoundwhichisnecessaryforthedeepercombinationsoftheintellect？Howcantheminddwelluponanysinglepoint，wheneverythingwhirlsaroundit，andmanhimselfissweptandbeatenonwardsbytheheadycurrentwhichrollsallthingsinitscourse？Butthepermanentagitationwhichsubsistsinthebosomofapeaceableandestablisheddemocracy，mustbedistinguishedfromthetumultuousandrevolutionarymovem...完整阅读请扫描二维码下载丁香书院APP免费看：
第39章