The Good Citizen: Lessons from Tocqueville on Democratic Citizenship in the 21st Century – Prof. Raymond Hain

About this episode

Prof. Raymond Hain discusses Tocqueville's insights on democratic citizenship and its dependence on social attachments and responsibility.

Prof. Raymond Hain argues that Tocqueville’s insights show democratic citizenship depends on stable attachments, shared social life across class lines, and a willingness to let citizens practice freedom through responsibility. This lecture was given on December 4th, 2025, at University of Tulsa. To make a gift this June, visit  https://truth.thomisticinstitute.org/pod . About the Speakers: Raymond Hain is Associate Professor of Philosophy and Associate Director of the Humanities Program at Providence College in Providence, RI. Educated at Christendom College, the University of Notre Dame, and the University of Oxford, he is the founder of the PC Humanities Forum and Humanities Reading Seminars and is responsible for the strategic development of the Humanities Program into a vibrant, world class center of teaching, research, and cultural life dedicated to the Catholic Intellectual Tradition. His scholarly interests include the history of ethics (especially St. Thomas Aquinas), applied ethics (especially medical ethics and the ethics of architecture), Alexis de Tocqueville, and philosophy and literature (especially Catholic aesthetics). His work has been supported by the…

People in this episode

Guest: Prof. Raymond Hain

Topics covered

• democratic citizenship
• Tocqueville
• social responsibility
• philosophy
• ethics

Keywords

• democracy
• citizenship
• Tocqueville
• social life
• freedom
• responsibility
• ethics

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: University of Tulsa, Providence College

Books & works: The Thomist, International Journal of Applied Philosophy, The Anthem Companion to Tocqueville

Places: Rhode Island

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