Born in 1961, Alexis d'Hérouville is a direct descendant of Alexis de Tocqueville, the renowned French philosopher and historian. Raised at the Château de Tocqueville, he graduated from the Institut d'Études Politiques (SciencesPo Paris) and works as a banker in Paris at the Banque Publique d’Investissement. Committed to preserving and transmitting Western cultural and intellectual heritage, Alexis d'Hérouville works closely with his brother, Jean-Guillaume, to perpetuate their mother's legacy, MarieHenriette de Tocqueville, the last direct descendant bearing the Tocqueville name.
Links with the United States
The Tocqueville family has maintained close ties with the United States for many years.
The Tocqueville Prize, established in 1979, has recognized prestigious American laureates, including:
- David Riesman (1980)
- Daniel Bell (1999)
- Colin Powell (2006)
- Zbigniew Brzezinski (2010)
- Henry Kissinger (2018)
The prize jury consisted of prominent figures, including Stanley Hoffmann and Lawrence Wylie, and
was successively chaired by Raymond Aron, Valéry Giscard d’Estaing (former French President), and
Alain Juppé (former French Prime Minister).
The Tocqueville Conversations
Since 2018, Alexis d'Hérouville has participated in organizing The Tocqueville Conversations, an
annual event that brings together 300 participants from around the world at the Château de
Tocqueville. This event, co-organized by the Tocqueville Foundation, Le Figaro, and the Atlantic
Council, aims to discuss the challenges facing Western democracies.
Lectures and projects
Alexis d'Hérouville gives lectures on Alexis de Tocqueville and other prominent figures in French
history. He also proposes travel projects to the United States, focusing on analyzing American
democracy in light of Tocqueville's work, Democracy in America.
US Travel Project
This project consists of a series of lectures and meetings with Americans from diverse backgrounds,
aiming to provide a French perspective on current American democracy.
The objectives are to:
- Analyze the evolution of American society since Tocqueville
- Reflect on the challenges facing American democracy
- Establish links between the French and Americans
The "outputs" of this project could include:
- Filmed debates broadcast in episodes
- A book to be written at the end of the trip
This project will provide a deeper understanding of the issues facing American democracy today and
strengthen ties between the two countries
