ABSTRACT
The French historian Alexis de Tocqueville is the well-known author of Democracy in America, published between 1835 and 1840 in Paris, almost at the same time as Comte's Cours. According to Tocqueville, religion in particular sets the conditions for the creation and preservation of a stable society based on freedom. As a consequence, Americans were probably influenced by religion to make good use of democracy. Also their habits and customs formed the basis of democracy. In his book LAncienRegimeet laRevolution, Tocqueville argued that the French revolution resembled a religious revolution since it considered "man in general," going beyond the specific context and adopting a global perspective. The French revolution was concerned with "this world," while religious revolution aims at the "other world." The spread of religious sects in America is explained through a "fanatical and almost wild spiritualism" caused by the fact that "the soul has wants which must be satisfied".
