This thesis explores Alexis de Tocqueville’s representation of Indigenous peoples in his book Democracy in America, a subject largely overlooked in the history of Tocqueville scholarship. I argue that his narrative on the history of American expansionism creates a simulacrum of Indigeneity as a rhetorical trope to convince the reader of the impossibility of the resurrection of European feudalism. In the process he exposes the brutality of American decadence while paradoxically endorsing the principles that motivate European colonialism. Tocqueville’s historical narrative essentially writes Indigenous people out of history and offers a tacit justification for some of the injustices they suffered. Although some modern scholars read him as a critic of American tyranny, I suggest that his juxtaposition of savagism and civilization presupposes a progressive concept of history that condemns Indigenous peoples to an unavoidable destruction. / Thesis / Master of Arts (MA) / This thesis examines the way that Alexis de Tocqueville misrepresents the history of Indigenous peoples in his book Democracy in America. I argue that his discussion on the history of American colonialism depicts Indigenous peoples in a way that fails to appreciate their culture and suggests that their destruction is simply the tragic result of the triumphant march of European civilization. I also argue that, for Tocqueville, the democratic movement in Europe is an historical inevitability that is impossible to resist.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:mcmaster.ca/oai:macsphere.mcmaster.ca:11375/24283 |
| Date | January 2018 |
| Creators | Edwards, Patrick |
| Contributors | Planinc, Mendelson, Zdravko, Alan, Religious Studies |
| Source Sets | McMaster University |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
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