Full Idea
The village or township is the only association which is so perfectly natural that, wherever a number of men are collected, it seems to constitute itself.
Gist of Idea
Wherever there is a small community, the association of the people is natural
Source
Alexis de Tocqueville (Democracy in America (abr Renshaw) [1840], 1.04)
A Reaction
Seems like a chicken and egg issue. I would have thought that association precedes the development of a village.
Book Reference
Tocqueville,Alexis de: 'Democracy in America (abridged)', ed/tr. Renshaw,Patrick [Wordsworth 1998], p.35