Amongstaristocraticnations，asfamiliesremainforcenturiesinthesamecondition，oftenonthesamespot，allgenerationsbecomeasitwerecontemporaneous。Amanalmostalwaysknowshisforefathers，andrespectsthem:hethinkshealreadyseeshisremotedescendants，andhelovesthem。Hewillinglyimposesdutiesonhimselftowardstheformerandthelatter;andhewillfrequentlysacrificehispersonalgratificationstothosewhowentbeforeandtothosewhowillcomeafterhim。Aristocraticinstitutionshave，moreover，theeffectofcloselybindingeverymantoseveralofhisfellow—citizens。Astheclassesofanaristocraticpeoplearestronglymarkedandpermanent，eachofthemisregardedbyitsownmembersasasortoflessercountry，moretangibleandmorecherishedthanthecountryatlarge。Asinaristocraticcommunitiesallthecitizensoccupyfixedpositions，oneabovetheother，theresultisthateachofthemalwaysseesamanabovehimselfwhosepatronageisnecessarytohim，andbelowhimselfanothermanwhoseco—operationhemayclaim。Menlivinginaristocraticagesarethereforealmostalwayscloselyattachedtosomethingplacedoutoftheirownsphere，andtheyareoftendisposedtoforgetthemselves。Itistruethatinthoseagesthenotionofhumanfellowshipisfaint，andthatmenseldomthinkofsacrificingthemselvesformankind;buttheyoftensacrificethemselvesforothermen。Indemocraticages，onthecontrary，whenthedutiesofeachindividualtotheracearemuchmoreclear，devotedservicetoanyonemanbecomesmorerare;thebondofhumanaffectionisextended，butitisrelaxed。
Amongstdemocraticnationsnewfamiliesareconstantlyspringingup，othersareconstantlyfallingaway，andallthatremainchangetheircondition;thewoofoftimeiseveryinstantbroken，andthetrackofgenerationseffaced。Thosewhowentbeforearesoonforgotten;ofthosewhowillcomeafternoonehasanyidea:theinterestofmanisconfinedtothoseinclosepropinquitytohimself。Aseachclassapproximatestootherclasses，andintermingleswiththem，itsmembersbecomeindifferentandasstrangerstooneanother。Aristocracyhadmadeachainofallthemembersofthecommunity，fromthepeasanttotheking:democracybreaksthatchain，andseverseverylinkofit。Associalconditionsbecomemoreequal，thenumberofpersonsincreaseswho，althoughtheyareneitherrichenoughnorpowerfulenoughtoexerciseanygreatinfluenceovertheirfellow—creatures，haveneverthelessacquiredorretainedsufficienteducationandfortunetosatisfytheirownwants。
Theyowenothingtoanyman，theyexpectnothingfromanyman;
theyacquirethehabitofalwaysconsideringthemselvesasstandingalone，andtheyareapttoimaginethattheirwholedestinyisintheirownhands。Thusnotonlydoesdemocracymakeeverymanforgethisancestors，butithideshisdescendants，andseparateshiscontemporariesfromhim;itthrowshimbackforeveruponhimselfalone，andthreatensintheendtoconfinehimentirelywithinthesolitudeofhisownheart。
ChapterIII:IndividualismStrongerAtTheCloseOfADemocraticRevolutionThanAtOtherPeriodsTheperiodwhentheconstructionofdemocraticsocietyupontheruinsofanaristocracyhasjustbeencompleted，isespeciallythatatwhichthisseparationofmenfromoneanother，andtheegotismresultingfromit，mostforciblystriketheobservation。Democraticcommunitiesnotonlycontainalargenumberofindependentcitizens，buttheyareconstantlyfilledwithmenwho，havingenteredbutyesterdayupontheirindependentcondition，areintoxicatedwiththeirnewpower。Theyentertainapresumptuousconfidenceintheirstrength，andastheydonotsupposethattheycanhenceforwardeverhaveoccasiontoclaimtheassistanceoftheirfellow—creatures，theydonotscrupletoshowthattheycarefornobodybutthemselves。