《论美国的民主·卷一·导论·身份平等是天意所定》第6节
The consequence of this has been that the democratic revolution has been effected only in the material parts of society, without that concomitant change in laws, ideas, customs, and manners which was necessary to render such a revolution beneficial. We have gotten a democracy, but without the conditions which lessen its vices and render its natural advantages more prominent; and although we already perceive the evils it brings, we are ignorant of the benefits it may confer.
注释摘要
托克维尔在这段话里做了一个诊断，而这个诊断是理解他全部政治思考真正起点的那把钥匙。他说，法国的民主革命只在社会的物质层面完成了，却没有伴随着法律、观念、习惯和民情（mœurs）的相应变化。这里必须把民情这个词先讲清楚：在托克维尔的语汇里，mœurs 不单指习俗，而是涵盖了一个民族整个道德与智识状态的总称——人们的信仰、日常行为的习惯、对权威的看法、邻里相处…