Conceptualising equality: Tocqueville and equality as a modern social imaginary

This article advances a new conceptualisation of modern equality by examining the French reactivation of Alexis Tocqueville in the late 20th century. It argues that this reinterpretation offers an original understanding of modern equality by conceptualising it as a social imaginary rather than primarily as a normative ideal. Drawing on Charles Taylor's concept of the social imaginary, the article analyses how François Furet, Marcel Gauchet, and Pierre Manent reinterpret Tocqueville to understand modern equality as a historically constituted force shaping democratic practices, institutions, and political conflict. Despite their divergent political conclusions, all three converge in treating modern equality as a social imaginary that both enables and destabilises democratic life. The article situates this conceptualisation in relation to seven influential approaches to equality and argues that it complements contemporary theories of relational equality. Whereas relational equality offers a normative account of how individuals ought to relate to one another, the Tocqueville-inspired interpretations understand equality as a historical and sociological condition that sustains democratic society while generating internal tensions. By conceptualising modern equality as a social imaginary, the article provides a new framework for understanding the historical development, contemporary crisis, and enduring political significance of equality in modern democracy.