O PODER POLÍTICO NA VISÃO DE TOCQUEVILLE: UM DIFERENCIAL ENTRE ANTIGOS E MODERNOS

Abstract

The article has the purpose of analyzing as Aléxis Tocqueville bases the political power and like him it explains the citizens’ participation in the political decisions. Along the discussions, the text tries to demonstrate that the political thought of Tocqueville – so much in theoretical-methodological terms, as in conclusive terms – it turns a differential one in relation to the political thought not only of the Old ones - Plato and Aristotle - but also of the Modern ones - Hobbes and Rousseau. With effect, the study reveals that while Tocqueville, through the method “ideal type”, tries to demonstrate as and because the American State appeared and which factors and processes condition the American citizens’ political participation, the other authors leave of beginnings general built in abstract to demonstrate as the State and the political participation should be.