This book presents an interpretive analysis of the major themes and purpose of Alexis de Tocqueville s and Gustave de Beaumont s first work, On the Penitentiary System, thereby offering new insights into Tocqueville as a moderate liberal statesman. The book explores Tocqueville s thinking on penitentiaries as the best possible solution to recidivism, his approach to colonial imperialism, and his arguments on moral reformation of prisoners through a close reading of Tocqueville s first published text. The unifying political concept of all three discussions is Tocqueville s underlying concern to pursue moderation between institutional and imaginative extremes in order to maintain liberal values. In both thinking moderately and advocating for moderate political action, Tocqueville s On the Penitentiary System renews an emphasis on the importance of civic engagement and the balance between philosophy and praxis.
