In the second volume of Democracy of America, Tocqueville warns us of several tendencies latent in American society, namely individualism, secularism, and materialism. These tendencies, in his view, threaten to replace democratic self-rule with despotic self-absorption. 139 years later, Christopher Lasch ostensibly confirmed Tocqueville’s fears in his Culture of Narcissism, which describes an America plagued by economic anxiety, widespread distrust, and insatiable desire. Where is freedom to be found today? How ought we escape isolation and hyperindividualism? This August, join us as we explore Tocqueville and Lasch’s insights into America’s social ills and their potential remedies. 

On this date, August 4, we will cover Democracy in America, Vol. II: Part 1, Chapter 2; Part 2, Chapters 1-2; and Part 3, Chapters 18-19. We will also be reading Lasch’s preface to The Culture of Narcissism and an excerpt from the book’s third chapter.