--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: One overall conclusion is plain: under…" description: "\"“One overall conclusion is plain: under the weight of the combined impact of exploding pluralism, the expansion of the state, and emerging separationis..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f38/os-guinness-6581_tocqueville-gone_one-overall-conclusion-is-plain-under-th_2531494.png" --- # One overall conclusion is plain: under the weight of the… ![“One overall conclusion is plain: under the weight of the combined impact of exploding pluralism, the expansion of the state, and emerging separationism, the early American settlement, so brilliantly described by Tocqueville, is gone, and gone for good.” quote by Os Guinness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f38/os-guinness-6581_tocqueville-gone_one-overall-conclusion-is-plain-under-th_2531494.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f38/os-guinness-6581_tocqueville-gone_one-overall-conclusion-is-plain-under-th_2531494.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f38/os-guinness-6581_tocqueville-gone_one-overall-conclusion-is-plain-under-th_2531494.png) > ““One overall conclusion is plain: under the weight of the combined impact of exploding pluralism, the expansion of the state, and emerging separationism, the early American settlement, so brilliantly described by Tocqueville, is gone, and gone for good.”” [Os Guinness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/os-guinness/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The early American settlement described by Tocqueville has disappeared due to rising pluralism, state expansion, and separationist forces. **In simple terms:** America’s original community is lost because of growing diversity and government reach. Key Takeaway Recognize how societal changes reshape communities. Themes history politics culture change identity Mood reflective analytical Type historical political When to use this quote - urban planning - policy making - community building - educational curricula Key Concepts pluralism state power separationism social evolution Questions to Reflect On - How do modern societies preserve communal values amid diversity? - What role should government play in balancing unity and pluralism? A Different Perspective The analysis may overlook positive aspects of pluralism and new forms of community. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [American Settlement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american-settlement-1347364/) [Conclusion Plain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conclusion-plain-1347362/) [Described Tocqueville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/described-tocqueville-1347365/) [Exploding Pluralism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exploding-pluralism-1347363/) [Tocqueville Gone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tocqueville-gone-1347361/) ## Related quotes > [Unless the structure of the nucleus has a surprise in store for us, the conclusion seems plain — there is nothing in the whole…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-eddington/unless-the-structure-of-the-nucleus-has-a-surprise-in-store-for-us/) [Arthur Eddington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-eddington/) > [The sanctity of private property is so fundamental a part of the American settlement that the country's conservatives look with suspicion on any policy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-scruton/the-sanctity-of-private-property-is-so-fundamental-a-part-of-the/) [Roger Scruton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-scruton/) > [The existence of an area of free land, its continuous recession, and the advance of American settlement, explain American development.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-jackson-turner/the-existence-of-an-area-of-free-land-its-continuous-recession-and/) [Frederick Jackson Turner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-jackson-turner/) > [Up to our own day American history has been in a large degree the history of the colonization of the Great West. The existence…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-jackson-turner/up-to-our-own-day-american-history-has-been-in-a-large-degree-the/) [Frederick Jackson Turner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-jackson-turner/) > [“In 1821, the United States government sent Dr. Eli Ayres to West Africa to buy, on what was known as the “Pepper Coast,” land…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/captain-hank-bracker-seawater-two/in-1821-the-united-states-government-sent-dr-eli-ayres-to-west-africa/) [Captain Hank Bracker, "Seawater Two](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/captain-hank-bracker-seawater-two/) ## More by Os Guinness > [Too often we forget that the great men of faith reached the heights they did only by going through the depths.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/os-guinness/too-often-we-forget-that-the-great-men-of-faith-reached-the-heights/) [Os Guinness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/os-guinness/) > [There are lots of people depending on the government who are good, honest citizens who have worked all their lives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/os-guinness/there-are-lots-of-people-depending-on-the-government-who-are-good/) [Os Guinness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/os-guinness/) > [American views today are weak, confused, and divided. On one side, many progressive liberals still think that we humans are essentially good and getting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/os-guinness/american-views-today-are-weak-confused-and-divided-on-one-side-many/) [Os Guinness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/os-guinness/) > [What is undeniable is that when comforts and convenience sap our energies and idealism, inactivity secretes sloth in to our minds like a poison…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/os-guinness/what-is-undeniable-is-that-when-comforts-and-convenience-sap-our/) [Os Guinness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/os-guinness/) > [Freedom is not the permission to do what you like. It's the power to do what you ought.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/os-guinness/freedom-is-not-the-permission-to-do-what-you-like-it-s-the-power-to/) [Os Guinness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/os-guinness/) > [“It is realistic rather than cynical to observe that in a fallen world there are degrees of virtue in relation to what is right,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/os-guinness/it-is-realistic-rather-than-cynical-to-observe-that-in-a-fallen-world/) [Os Guinness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/os-guinness/) > [For the grand and inescapable tradition of western literary classics confronts us with fundamental choices over our understanding of words, reading and art, as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/os-guinness/for-the-grand-and-inescapable-tradition-of-western-literary-classics/) [Os Guinness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/os-guinness/) > [“The story is told of Socrates walking through the market in Athens, with its groaning abundance of options, and saying to himself, "Who would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/os-guinness/the-story-is-told-of-socrates-walking-through-the-market-in-athens/) [Os Guinness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/os-guinness/) > [By our uncritical pursuit of relevance we have actually courted irrelevance; by our breathless chase after relevance without a matching committment to faithfulness, we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/os-guinness/by-our-uncritical-pursuit-of-relevance-we-have-actually-courted/) [Os Guinness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/os-guinness/) > [Evangelicalism can only remain evangelical if it is passionately serious about truth and theology.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/os-guinness/evangelicalism-can-only-remain-evangelical-if-it-is-passionately/) [Os Guinness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/os-guinness/) > [“Sometimes when I listen to people who say they have lost their faith, I am far less surprised than they expect. If their view…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/os-guinness/sometimes-when-i-listen-to-people-who-say-they-have-lost-their-faith/) [Os Guinness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/os-guinness/) > [“Neither secular progress nor secular progressives have brought the West where they once promised. Nor can they.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/os-guinness/neither-secular-progress-nor-secular-progressives-have-brought-the/) [Os Guinness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/os-guinness/) > [This is also why it is wrong to treat God as a grand employment agency, a celestial executive searcher to find perfect fits for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/os-guinness/this-is-also-why-it-is-wrong-to-treat-god-as-a-grand-employment/) [Os Guinness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/os-guinness/) > [We human beings are never happier than when we are expressing the deepest gifts that are truly us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/os-guinness/we-human-beings-are-never-happier-than-when-we-are-expressing-the/) [Os Guinness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/os-guinness/) > [Christ is the only way to God, but there are as many ways to Christ as there are people who come to Him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/os-guinness/christ-is-the-only-way-to-god-but-there-are-as-many-ways-to-christ-as/) [Os Guinness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/os-guinness/) [Explore all 98 Os Guinness quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/os-guinness/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“One overall conclusion is plain: under the weight of the combined impact of exploding pluralism, the expansion of the state, and emerging separationism, the early American settlement, so brilliantly described by Tocqueville, is gone, and gone for good.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Os Guinness" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/os-guinness/one-overall-conclusion-is-plain-under-the-weight-of-the-combined/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Tocqueville Gone" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/os-guinness/one-overall-conclusion-is-plain-under-the-weight-of-the-combined/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f38/os-guinness-6581_tocqueville-gone_one-overall-conclusion-is-plain-under-th_2531494.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f38/os-guinness-6581_tocqueville-gone_one-overall-conclusion-is-plain-under-th_2531494.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f38/os-guinness-6581_tocqueville-gone_one-overall-conclusion-is-plain-under-th_2531494.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“One overall conclusion is plain: under the weight of the combined impact of exploding pluralism, the…” — Os Guinness", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Os Guinness", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/os-guinness/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“One overall conclusion is plain: under...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/os-guinness/one-overall-conclusion-is-plain-under-the-weight-of-the-combined/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/os-guinness/one-overall-conclusion-is-plain-under-the-weight-of-the-combined/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```