Charles Handy article on what Alexis de Tocqueville would think of America in the 21st century. Handy argues that Tocqueville would be much more impressed with America's enduring capitalism than with its well-established tradition of democracy. He begins the article discussing Tocqueville’s original intention in coming to America, to publish a book on prisons, and how he also took an interest in the subject of democracy after completing his book on the American prison system. Handy goes on to argue that, today, Tocqueville would be more impressed with America’s well-established tradition of democracy than capitalism, and reflects on how Karl Marx’s prediction that capitalism would inevitably lead to the rise of socialism has been proven false, given that socialist parties in the U.S. have never been popular. He then considers the drawbacks of American capitalism and democracy, given the U.S. history of slavery and denial of rights to women, and whether a capitalism that evolved from a property-owning democracy can now function stably in a dematerialized world, where access and experience count more than things. Handy then launches into a discussion of the U.S.’s Puritan history, arguing that the Puritan heritage, along with the American people’s sense of optimism, is what has contributed to the country’s prosperity, and declares that the traditions of the Puritans are alive and well in America today. The positive attitude that Handy reflects upon can be translated into Four I’s--information, incentive, investment, and innovation--which Americans believe will help them lead the way into the future. Handy also describes how the idea of wealth as a symbol of worth is another facet of the Puritan tradition that has continued to the present day, with the wealthy engaging in philanthropy as a polite way of advertising their affluence. However, he also describes the darker side of American capitalism, which has seen the rise of crude individualism and the withering away of Adam Smith’s requirement of Sympathy in society, and suggests that America is moving into a new stage of capitalism that can be called “the age of the elephants and the fleas.” Handy states that America needs both elephants and fleas, that the new dematerialized world of services and information grants plentiful opportunities to fleas, and how the entrepreneurial aspect of being a flea--and this quality in traditional American society--should be imitated in Britain and the rest of Europe. Handy closes the article stating that it is the independent spirit of America that remains the envy of so much of the world, and that it will only survive if it does not become an insular selfishness and continues to handle the responsibilities that come with freedom.
Handy, Charles B Tocqueville, Alexis de, 1805-1859 Harvard Business Publishing Marx, Karl, 1818-1883 De Soto, Hernando, 1941- Harvard Business School Press Reagan, Ronald Capitalism Smith, Adam, 1723-1790 Landes, David S Harvard business review book series American Dream Capitalism Innovation Democracy Marshall Plan Thurow, Lester C Fogel, Robert William Individualism Putnam, Robert Puritans Philanthropy and society Freedom Puritanism
Source
Charles Handy article on what Alexis de Tocqueville would think of America in the 21st century. Handy argues that Tocqueville would be much more impressed with America's enduring capitalism than with its well-established tradition of democracy, 2001; Charles Handy Papers; Box 20, Folder 16; 12 pages
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