Tyranny of the Majority
In his book, On Liberty, John Stewart Mill goes to great lengths to demonstrate how unjustly the majority rules in a democratic society. He starts off by explaining the intentions of liberty, and what went wrong. He then reasons that not only laws, but also public opinion can negatively affect the system. Furthermore, Mill then points out why humanity is hurt by the silencing of opinions. Finally he offers the idea that majority rule can lead to stagnation. Advancing Mill's argument, Niccolo Machiavelli's book, The Prince, illustrates views on human nature that help to demonstrate why a majority ruled system will become tyrant and fail. Mill and Machiavelli's literature show particular problems of injustice that the majority holds, leading to a "tyranny of the majority." An operational definition for what Mill meant by "tyranny of the majority" is now needed. According to Mill, democracies enable the majority to stomp out the voices of the minority groups, refusing to think about the thoughts and ideas of anyone who does not comply. This form of tyranny gives the majority the right to obstruct justice. Mill starts off his essay by stating the intentions of liberty. "By liberty, was meant pro
Furthermore, Machiavelli adds that people are content as long as they are not particularly themselves objectified. A minority opinion might be that Larry Bird is the best basketball player ever. This oppression is not only limited to laws the government creates, but can also be noticed through public opinion. Back home in the United States flags waved, people cheered, and little boys' dreams of becoming American soldiers flourished. Here Mill is stating that any idea needs to be sufficiently discussed to make it fully righteous. In ancient times, the leader did not govern by the will of the people, but rather by his own judgment. The general population approved Desert Storm and the United States Military went in and handled business. According to Mil, if a person cannot refute protest, he can not fully understand his own view. The majority of the people down south realized that slavery was in their best interest. If I spread my message to twenty friends that had relatively neutral beliefs, odds are I could get a majority to agree with me. " They point out that a majority do not always act in a manner that would best suit all of society's members. Mill and Machiavelli display that majority rule can lead to tyranny equal to that of a supreme political ruler. During the war, President Bush told the Iraqi people to rise up and revolt against Saddam Hussein. However, the majority rule system does not greet opinions constructed by minority members with open ears.
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