Chp. 17, Tocqueville

Chapter 17, in the reading today only made me think partly how ahead Tocqueville was in his thinking.  He talks about money being the driving force behind a man’s ambition.  If not the sole purpose for his work it definitely plays an immediate role not far behind.  If Tocqueville were alive today I am sure he would not be surprised at the way greed has taken over the American mind for some.  He displays America as passionless and driven by their desires to acquire wealth.  I have to wonder though if Tocqueville associated himself with any other men besides the rich he writes about.  I do not get the feeling from most historians everyone in America was prosperous simultaneously.  He paints this picture of a wealthy society in which people cannot seem to get satisfaction from anything but money.  But what about early American’s who would never know what it was like to possess enough money to get by let alone become rich.  I am sure they received satisfaction in other ways with their lives. Therefore, it is here I tend to disagree with the remainder of his thoughts.  Tocqueville says “Variety is disappearing from the human race; the same ways of behaving, thinking, and feeling are found in every corner of the world.”  Examining our world today this statement is only half true.  While most of the world is making feverish attempts at becoming more civilized I would have to argue America is still ahead of most.  We have advanced in areas of math and science for which I am sure Tocqueville could have never predicted.  Successes that may be in part driven by money but I would argue not the sole purpose of the pursuit.