The Tocqueville Project aims to follow in the footsteps of French historian Alexis de Tocqueville, one of the most significant outside observers of moral and political life in the United States, by examining the enduring questions in the history of Western moral and political thought, and considering how our answers to these questions affect social and political life.

Among the topics the Tocqueville Project aims to examine are:

• the values of democratic society and their justification
• the moral basis of civil liberties and private property
• the role of religion in a free society
• an individual’s obligations to others and to the state
• the relationship between democracy, freedom, and equality
• the relationship between law, liberty, and morality
• the role of the state in making individuals virtuous
   

We have taken on a number of initiatives in support of this mission. They include:

• public lectures, panel discussions, and debates
• a seminar series in philosophy and political economy
• for-credit courses for university and high school students 
• undergraduate and professional conferences
• support for academic scholarship
• academic reading groups
• the Tocqueville Project Undergraduate and Graduate Fellows Program
   

Our success depends on the support of foundations and private individuals who share our commitment in advancing the understanding and appreciation of the principles central to a free society. We are deeply grateful to everyone who stands with us.