De Tocqueville and Newman

De Tocqueville and Newman

In chapter 17, De Tocqueville observes that, "At the present time, more than in any preceding age, Roman Catholics are seen to lapse into infidelity, and the Protestants to be converted to Roman Catholicism" (156). This immediately made me think of John Newman; a former Anglican who converted to Catholicism (although it might be important to point out that Newman lived in Great Britain rather than in the United States).

De Tocqueville argues that the men of the age are not prone to believe in much, but when they do choose to believe in something a "latent instinct" urges them towards the Roman Catholic church. De Tocqueville says these men become Catholics because they admire the discipline and unity of the Catholic Church. Essentially, democracy will divide men into two camps - those who do not believe in any God and the Catholics.

Does De Tocqueville predict these two camps because they are polar opposites on the spectrum of belief, believing in nothing being an extreme of freedom of religion provided for by democracy and dogmatic Roman Catholicism being the other extreme? How can we relate this back to Newman and his conversion experience?