Tocqueville, Novak, and the Challenge of Socialism

Few scholars have articulated such profound insights into the nature and destiny of America as the nineteenth century French political thinker Alexis de Tocqueville and the twentieth century American theologian Michael Novak. Each man also had much to say about the rise and popularity of an idea that has regained great traction in America today, especially among young Americans - Socialism. The reflections of Tocqueville and Novak about the character of Socialism are deeply relevant for understanding why people, both in their time and in ours, are attracted to an economic system - whether of the command economy or social democratic variety - that has inflicted enormous political and economic damage on entire societies.