Is the majority of people always right?

Question

Could be that the majority is always right?...or maybe sometimes...it's wrong..and we fail to accepted because it is not the opinion that most share?

Right - as we all know it...and accept it.....the opposite of bad.

And about slavery..exactly my point...

Answer 1

If you are referring to a culture, not a theory, then for all intents, yes., the majority is "right".

Where we get in trouble is in the use of the word "right."

Let keep it simple.

If Person X and Person Y run for president, who is the "right" person for the job? That all depends on what you believe. If X wants lower taxes and Y wants higher taxes, you will vote for the one that most closely reflects your views on taxes. Right and wrong have nothing to do with it. It's all just opinion.

Democracy works by doing what the majority wants done.

If you don't use a majority rule you hit a big problem. Who decides and where does it end? If you don't give power to the majority, who do you give it too? And who decided to whom power shall be given? After that, who determines what decisions this person will make? Political only, political and religious, political and religious and personal? Where does it end? Can you really vote for your own dictator?

No, democracy it is not a perfect system. But it is an open system. For all the people who bellyache about republicans, they keep winning. If the people want to change political parties, they will elect a democrat. It won't matter if the democrat is a smart person or a moron. If that's what the majority wants, that what it will get.

It is the best we're going to do.

Answer 2

i go with the majority of answerers here.We can only estimate,of course;And the majority here is nowhere the
majority just on the philosophy section of yahoo answers.
So i or rather we know something.
What i find interesting is where-to-place so-called majority
rule in history-especially what could be called The History
of Power Politics.
And its been said that most if not all of our western so-called
History is that of power-politics; that you, me, and billions
of Jane Does just do not get a "mention"(the classic case
would be where a Pharaoh "built" a pyramid,or a president
"'built" a Border fence). I hope you see my point.(that PP is
still going"strong"-and that with all the criticism that the
mass majority elected government gets-and is thriving).
I agree that the majority can be correct one minute,then
incorrect the next.I think thats just a facet of how it is or how
it works.What you could be grasping for is whether the
majority is usually right or correct.
And i and a host of people think that its not.
But what to do about this is another matter;it involves using
ones own power-of-persuation to overturn another point of
view,another"vision".
And this other point-of-view may have powerful "backing",
and they may not want or even be able to change their minds.
So the degree-of-difficulty is great.
Even so,the so-called majority can sometimes be persuaded
to accept that they were wrong,and that the(so-called)
minority were right(!).
Have a good day.

Answer 3

The majority is not always right. Just look at mob violence. A perfect example is after the Rodney King verdict in LA, was it right for all those people (an apparent majority in some neighborhoods) to go out and do the damage that they did?
Just because your friend jumped off a bridge would you?

Answer 4

Well, of course not. Not that long ago, the majority believed that the world was flat and that the Earth was at the center of the universe. A majority of Americans don't believe in evolution and do believe in astrology and alien abductions. Even in the world of politics, where most hold that the majority should prevail, there are many examples of decisions that were regretted later.

Answer 5

NO. The majority is often wrong. Look at Christians in this country. Look at the 2 major parties. Look at slave states before the Civil War. Look at Mississippi today.
What they are is the majority. So they get the power to sway.
Sometimes, one person is right and everyone else is full of righteousness, and because they have the power, they crush the right guy.
Look up "Jesus,"-- Gandhi, Buddha, and Zorro.
You can leave, influence, or accept it. Nothing else to do.

Answer 6

Classic example of the majority not being right.....80% of the earth's population believe in a higher being or afterlife. The evidence suggests that the reality is quit different.

Answer 7

A person is right in his mind and the whole is not a part of the equation of one self. Healthy narcissism is part of this but too much is unhealthy full one and the whole so it must be tempered like the steal of a sword to make it strong and just to find the edge of both sides not just one side.

Answer 8

Define right. I sure can't.

Was the majority right when demanding that slavery be legal?

Answer 9

No - The majority can and often will be wrong compared even to their codes and definitions.

Answer 10

the majority of people used to think disease was caused by 4 humors being off balance in the body.....