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Hidden in Plain Sight: Alexis de Tocqueville’s Recognition of the Jewish Origin of the Idea of Equality

October 21, 2005 | Joel Fishman

Although Alexis de Tocqueville examined in depth the idea of equality in his classic Democracy in America, and attributed its origin to Christianity, he explicitly recognized its Jewish provenance in a letter to Arthur de Gobineau of 24 January 1857. This finding is significant, because Tocqueville's pioneering study identified the central importance of equality in modern democracy and described its benefits and dangers. This year marks the bicentennial of Tocqueville's birth (29 July 1805-16