This paper discusses how Tocqueville and Mill find common ground amid the backdrop of the mid-1800s, finding cause for concern
over the potential for a
tyranny of the majority in a
modern democracy, noticing the slippery role of authority in a "democratic" system, and ultimately recognizing the need for a new conception of liberty in the modern age. It shows how these two great thinkers weave their philosophies together seamlessly in some respects, and appear to depart radically in others.