Alexis de Tocqueville observed that the rise of modern democracy has ramifications far beyond the political realm. It changes the way people think about their capacities and shapes their aspirations. Tocqueville argues that democracy allows a certain degree of ambition to become widespread, but it also discourages grand striving. In this talk, Professor Stauffer will explore Tocqueville’s analysis of the effects of democracy on ambition and why, in his view, we need to nurture the desires for power and glory in the modern era.

Dana Jalbert Stauffer is Associate Professor of Instruction and Research Fellow in the Department of Government at the University of Texas at Austin. Her research interests include classical political thought, Tocqueville, and Shakespeare. She is currently at work on a book manuscript entitled “A World Altogether New: Tocqueville on the Modern Moral Situation.”

The Forum on Constitutionalism and Democracy at SUNY Geneseo was established in 2019 by Professors Carly Herold (Philosophy) and Aaron Herold (Political Science) to establish programming, and to foster campus conversations, about civic education and liberal democracy. The Forum and this event are supported by a grant from the Jack Miller Center for Teaching America’s Founding Principles and History. This event is also co-sponsored by the Department of Philosophy and the Department of Political Science and International Relations.