Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community - View Single Post - Does the majority determine what is right?

Sen · 11-11-2004, 12:52 PM

This thread is spawned from the "I'm tired of the "Bush will run rampant and oppress me for the next 4 yrs." syndrome " thread.

There were some things mentioned in that thread that need intellectual reconciliation.

On one hand you have people saying that the majority decides what is right and wrong in a democracy, and on the other hand you have some saying that the majority doesn't decide what IS right and wrong, but what course of action we are going to take. In other words, right and wrong are absolute and the majority can be wrong. Cases cited include, slavery, interracial marriage bans and the holocaust. Clearly cases where the majority of the population supported things that, today, we easily agree were wrong.

In another section, someone points out that they are disturbed by the fact that 45% of Americans believe that life was created, not evolved. They point out that we are just animals, albeit highly advanced animals.

Herein lies the question: If we are just animals and there is no higher power, what determines right and wrong, if NOT the majority? It seems to me that to believe that we are simply animals with no higher authority AND the majority can be wrong is intellectually disengenuous. If there is no higher moral authority, then who determines what is right and what is wrong, if not the majority? If right and wrong are absolute, then where did the concepts come from? If the concept of right and wrong were invented in the human mind, then can't right and wrong evolve like everything else? Couldn't something have been "right" for one group of people in time and now "wrong" now? What makes any one persons concept of right and wrong superior to anyone elses?

I chose the political forum over the philosophy forum for this question because of the implications the answers have for representative democracy.

11-11-2004, 12:52 PM	#1 (permalink)
Sen Insane Location: Midwest	Does the majority determine what is right? This thread is spawned from the "I'm tired of the "Bush will run rampant and oppress me for the next 4 yrs." syndrome " thread. There were some things mentioned in that thread that need intellectual reconciliation. On one hand you have people saying that the majority decides what is right and wrong in a democracy, and on the other hand you have some saying that the majority doesn't decide what IS right and wrong, but what course of action we are going to take. In other words, right and wrong are absolute and the majority can be wrong. Cases cited include, slavery, interracial marriage bans and the holocaust. Clearly cases where the majority of the population supported things that, today, we easily agree were wrong. In another section, someone points out that they are disturbed by the fact that 45% of Americans believe that life was created, not evolved. They point out that we are just animals, albeit highly advanced animals. Herein lies the question: If we are just animals and there is no higher power, what determines right and wrong, if NOT the majority? It seems to me that to believe that we are simply animals with no higher authority AND the majority can be wrong is intellectually disengenuous. If there is no higher moral authority, then who determines what is right and what is wrong, if not the majority? If right and wrong are absolute, then where did the concepts come from? If the concept of right and wrong were invented in the human mind, then can't right and wrong evolve like everything else? Couldn't something have been "right" for one group of people in time and now "wrong" now? What makes any one persons concept of right and wrong superior to anyone elses? I chose the political forum over the philosophy forum for this question because of the implications the answers have for representative democracy. __________________ "I want to announce my presence with authority!" "You want to what?" "I want to announce my presence with authority!!"