Uploaded July 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago

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My lecture celebrating America’s 250th at the Chateau de Tocqueville: Tocqueville on Religion.

Professor Aaron Herold tutored me as I was going through Democracy in America. His insights were critical to forming my own reading on Tocqueville and you can read more about them in his wonderful book: amzn.to/3Ssp7zt

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Transcript: johnathanbi.com/p/transcript-for-lecture-on-tocquevilles-religious-views

Companion lectures & interviews:
- What All Great Men Want (But Won’t Admit To) | UT Philosopher Thomas Pangle: youtu.be/_ozwvr2Pdls
- Democracy with American Characteristics | Tocqueville’s Industrial Aristocracy
youtu.be/XjhLQYGOmks

Timestamps:
00:00 0. Introduction
00:45 1. Why America is Hostile to Religion
01:01 1.1 Tolerance as Indifference
15:14 1.1.1 Separating Church and State
22:11 1.2 Materialism
25:26 1.2.1 Self interest Properly understood
29:58 1.2.2 This-Worldly Christianity
34:37 1.3 Skepticism
36:56 1.3.1 Tyranny of the Majority
43:54 1.4 Family
47:55 1.4.1 Equal but not alike
51:44 1.4.2 Willing Subjugation
54:22 1.5 Summary
59:44 2. Why America Needs Religion
59:59 2.1 Why Politics Needs Religion
01:03:31 2.1.1 New Age and Pantheism
01:09:11 2.2 Why Happiness Needs Materialism
01:14:45 2.2.1 Faux Heroism
01:17:16 3. Technology and Religion
01:19:00 3.1 The Empire of Matter
01:20:21 3.2 Technology and Homosexuality
01:24:55 3.3 The Limits of Materialism
01:26:43 3.4 Spiritual Rebellion