113年 - 113 國立臺灣師範大學_碩士班招生考試試題_英語學系：英文作文#122126

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所屬科目：研究所、轉學考(插大)◆英文作文

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French Political Philosopher Alexis de Tocqueville wrote:

 ...[W]ithout ideas held in common, there is no common action, and without common action, there may still be men, but there is no social body. In order that society should exist, and, a fortiori, that a society should prosper, it is required that all the minds of the citizens should be rallied and held together by certain predominant ideas； and this cannot be the case, unless each of them sometimes draws his opinions from the common source, and consents to accept certain matters of belief at the hands of the community.
-from Section I, Chapter 2 of Democracy in America, Volume II (1835)

 Write an essay to comment on or respond to Tocqueville's argument. Your essay can address, but is not limited to answering, any of the following questions: Do you agree with Tocqueville that "certain predominant ideas" are fundamental to a prosperous society? Why or why not? How might Tocqueville's emphasis on "common action" and "predominant ideas" run counter to the value of self-reliance and individual freedom that is usually advocated in democracy? Would the predominant ideas become a source of oppression for social differences in gender, class, race, ethnicity, age, etc.? From a different perspective, if a society does need common beliefs in order to operate efficiently, what might be some examples of these beliefs? Also, are these beliefs universally shared, or must they vary from one society to another? You are welcome to illustrate your arguments with specific examples of common beliefs and discuss their uses or malfunctions in real sociohistorical contexts.