When a being is thought of as free, this freedom often forms the basis for the attribution of dignity and certain rights, which serve as a shield for this dignity and the underlying freedom it is based on. Insofar as Tocqueville thinks of man as a free being, it is also clear to him that man possesses dignity and that this dignity implies the possession of certain rights. Consequently, one finds in several places in his writings urgent appeals not only not to violate the basic rights of the person, but also not to forget the possession of such rights. For Tocqueville, the danger comes not only from the government, which violates individual rights, but there is also the danger that people neglect their rights or give up their respect for them because they desire another, in their eyes more important, good - such as security or prosperity. Tocqueville wants to fight against these violations or against this forgetting.