What makes the majority correct?

[Dezerte]

Being in the majority does not make you right. That's why most (if not all) things in the world are not ruled by a majority, but a much smaller group of people (government & etc).

However, sometimes we appeal to the majority.

[Deleted]

The majority is not always right, or correct. But the fact is, the majority gets to decide what to do, and what course should the country be in. That's how a democracy works.
But if anyone, or every minority, decided do what they wanted, disregarding the majority, our countries would be anarchies, and I believe hardly anything would be accomplished at all.

[ptwonline]

Majority isn't correct. They just tend to get what they want because they have increased political power.

When dealing with areas of expertise, however, then the majority sharing an informed opinion is considered building a consensus. But since their opinions ARE considered to be informed, they are typically considered to be correct based on available facts (which doesn't necessarily mean that they are right.)

[Klutzington]

Why is it considered that the majority party is always correct? Just because there is more of them does not make them anymore right. If you look back through history it is usually the people that stand alone against majority that are responsible for our greatest achievements.

In my personal opinion rule of majority vote is the exact same and caving to peer pressure.

The majority is not always correct. Hell, the majority of Americans cannot build a computer. Are they correct to say that understanding how a computer works is difficult to learn?

However, it's generally held to be true that the loudest, most ignorant person is the one most people will believe.

[Crashdummy]

Why is it considered that the majority party is always correct? Just because there is more of them does not make them anymore right. If you look back through history it is usually the people that stand alone against majority that are responsible for our greatest achievements.

In my personal opinion rule of majority vote is the exact same and caving to peer pressure.

Its not that the majority is correct, irs more like, if we dont know which thing is the correct one, lets do what the majority think its correct, because we have to choose one and the best option is to choose what the majority thinks about it.

[caractacus]

probability

[Grim Retailer]

Why is it considered that the majority party is always correct? Just because there is more of them does not make them anymore right. If you look back through history it is usually the people that stand alone against majority that are responsible for our greatest achievements.

In my personal opinion rule of majority vote is the exact same and caving to peer pressure.

The majority is not supposed to be correct. That isn't the point of it. The point of it is self-determination. That means giving you as much of a say in decisions that affect you as possible. Possible while running a country where stuff like laws have to apply to everyone, that is. At no point was it ever supposed that tyour say would have a better chance of being right than any other method.

Later on, we found that democracy provided a good way of removing crap performers in government, something that had previously been a problem. So the amount of "right" provided did increase by getting rid of people with poor averages in the area. But that is a side effect.

[Rukentuts]

Absolutely nothing makes the majority correct. At one point in time the majority thought the Earth was created in six days. At another point the majority thought the Earth was flat. Just because one is in the majority doesn't mean one is correct, factually speaking.

Morality is a different, more complex issue.

[Mnevis]

The majority is not always right. That's why democracy sucks.

No, it's why we have elected representatives, a constitution, laws, checks and balances.

No one's always right - kings, dictators, presidents, senators, popes, and councils included.

[LeginNoslen]

The fact that if the majority and the non-majority got in a fight the majority would probably win.

[Garnier Fructis]

The majority can be quite corrupt. We see this in California, for example, when the majority votes for laws through the Proposition system and passes things that shouldn't be passed--like bills we can't pay for, or banning gay marriage.

The majority can also be quite stupid. After we pass bills we can't pay for, we complain and blame the government.

[teddytous]

Confusing fact with opinion.

Democracy means that if the majority thinks doing something is the course of action for them, then it should be done.
Democracy does not mean that the popular course of action is suddenly the right or best decision.

Right and wrong are view points, not absolutes. Especially with complex issues involved in democracies. Math has absolutes, science... society and politics do not.

[Adam Jensen]

Like I said it is widely considered majority is correct. Look at most of the political systems of the world.

Hence the systems of checks and balances and the Federalist's warnings of the Tyranny of the Majority.

[Maxilian]

the majority aren't always correct... but when something goes wrong the people can't say... "YOU BRINGED THESE TO US!".... because they were the one who agreed with something

[Very Tired]

No one ever said the majority is correct. The majority is which course of action the most people want. A democracy requires an informed population in order to be effective.

[Haven]

The majority is always gullible.

[Deleted]

People these days rather have "power" which they shouldn't have rather then a better life, democracy=greed and today greed is good

[Skizo]

They aren't, that's why we have the supreme court

---------- Post added 2012-10-12 at 08:46 AM ----------

People these days rather have "power" which they shouldn't have rather then a better life, democracy=greed and today greed is good

The government of the United States was designed to work effectively within man's natural tendency to be greedy.

[Powerogue]

Really thinking on that, this is going to be hard to answer. I'll give it a shot.

We start out with a large population of humans with different ideas on a subject. Let's use an example: how to govern the landmass full of humans so it doesn't descend into violent anarchy. Generally rising to the top is either a minority that manages to convince the rest that they are more qualified to lead and make decisions, or the majority who agree on a method and conclude being the majority as reason enough.

But why such value on the majority? I suppose if you put it down to smaller sizes of humans and in a more tribal setting, if 10 people think tribe should use spear not rock, and one person think tribe should use rock not spear, the 10 people stabbed the one person with their spears, and then carried on with their business. We see less of this kind of bullying by the majority now, but there's still that hidden acceptance that majority > minority.

[Deleted]

They aren't, that's why we have the supreme court

---------- Post added 2012-10-12 at 08:46 AM ----------



The government of the United States was designed to work effectively within man's natural tendency to be greedy.

we are lucky hospitals don't refuse to evolve and progress the same way political ideas and constitutions have the last >200 years