Alexis-Charles-Henri Clérel de Tocqueville was a French diplomat, political philosopher, and historian, born on July 29, 1805. He is best known for his influential works, particularly 'Democracy in America,' published in two volumes in 1835 and 1840, and 'The Old Regime and the Revolution' in 1856. In these works, Tocqueville examined the living standards and social conditions of individuals, alongside their relationship to the market and state in Western societies. His observations from his travels in the United States contributed to the foundational ideas in sociology and political science.

Tocqueville was active in French politics during the July Monarchy and the Second Republic, which followed the February 1848 Revolution. After the coup by Louis Napoléon Bonaparte in 1851, he withdrew from political life and focused on his writing. In 'The Old Regime and the Revolution,' he argued that the French Revolution was crucial for modernizing the French state, which had begun under King Louis XIV. A classical liberal, Tocqueville advocated for parliamentary government while expressing skepticism about the extremes of democracy.