Self-Interest Rightly Understood

From Democracy in America by Alexis de Tocqueville
Tocqueville's account of the moral doctrine by which Americans reconcile virtue and self-love, teaching that serving others ultimately serves oneself — a modest but reliable foundation for democratic morality.
Volume 2, Part 2, Chapters 8-9

'How the Americans Combat Individualism by the Doctrine of Self-Interest Rightly Understood' — argues this doctrine, while not sublime, is suited to democratic times and prevents moral disorder.

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