When Alexis de Tocqueville, a man curious about the American way of life, visited the young nation, he took note of many of its distinctive characteristics, such as religion, politics, and the overall culture of American society. ... He notes that this is a beneficial relationship for both the church and the churchgoers, who seek a sense of independence from potentially tyrannical institutions, just as the found fathers sought to free themselves from England, but at the same time are looking for spiritual guidance. ... He makes the argument that while Americans may have a seemingly desirable...

• Word Count: 1596
• Approx Pages: 6
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

People can love other people or things or places, but love or loyalty towards a country makes no sense. ... In order to reduce our pleasure we must not be blind to the fact that our pleasure causes others' pain in the sense that we over consume. ... Jensen notes how he used to be cynical and how he now has hope. ...

• Word Count: 2263
• Approx Pages: 9
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

After the seventeenth century crisis of order, Europeans gradually moved towards the idea of liberal democracy and capitalism, hoping to model their society with the ideals "liberty, equality, and fraternity." While Europeans have not been fully successful in reaching their envisioned ideals of l...

• Word Count: 2113
• Approx Pages: 8
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

It would be easy to accept the popular notion that only representative democratic regimes can be legitimate, after all, that is what is familiar to citizens of the modern Western world and humans, being creatures of habit, will often accept the status quo as that which is right. However, it is neces...

• Word Count: 2466
• Approx Pages: 10
• Grade Level: Graduate