Tyranny Of The Majority Analysis
Tyranny of the majority is a situation in which a group of people are treated unfairly due to the fact that their situation is different from the situation of most of the people in a democratic country. This is a problem that the Enlightenment and Romantic periods faced. Tyranny of the majority heavily impacted social order and justice in these periods.
Alexis de Tocqueville saw that public opinion would become an all-powerful force, and that the majority of people could tyrannize unpopular minorities. Because the legislature in America is most directly representative of the will of the people, democracies seem to give it the most power of all the governmental branches. But what becomes an issue is when there are not sufficient checks and balances …show more content…
This social “tyranny of the majority” comes from the enforcement of rules of conduct that are both unreasoned and strongly adhered to. The principle that guides the majority “to their opinions on the regulation of human conduct, is the feeling in each person’s mind that everybody should be required to act as he, and those with whom he sympathizes, would like them to act.” (On Liberty, 48). This feeling is dangerous to the enlightenment and romantic periods because it is taken to be self-justifying. This creates a very self biased view on the way that situations should be dealt with and can create harmful situations when it comes to problem solving within social order and the justice system. This gives the sense of every man for himself and this could create …show more content…
He says “All men recognize the right of revolution; that is, the right to refuse allegiance to, and to resist, the government, when its tyranny or its inefficiency are great and unendurable” (Civil Disobedience, Thoreau). Thoreau believes that government is rarely useful and that it gets its power from the majority because they are the most powerful, not because they have the most legitimate views and actions. Thoreau doubts the effectiveness of reform within the government. He believes that the best way to handle the tyranny and try to end it is to dissociate from the government, and refuse to participate in its institutions.
Tocqueville, Mill, and Thoreau, all believe that the tyranny of majority is negatively effecting and harming both the government and society. They believe that to fight the majority people hould stand up for what they want and believe and not let this majority take
Alexis de Tocqueville saw that public opinion would become an all-powerful force, and that the majority of people could tyrannize unpopular minorities. Because the legislature in America is most directly representative of the will of the people, democracies seem to give it the most power of all the governmental branches. But what becomes an issue is when there are not sufficient checks and balances …show more content…
This social “tyranny of the majority” comes from the enforcement of rules of conduct that are both unreasoned and strongly adhered to. The principle that guides the majority “to their opinions on the regulation of human conduct, is the feeling in each person’s mind that everybody should be required to act as he, and those with whom he sympathizes, would like them to act.” (On Liberty, 48). This feeling is dangerous to the enlightenment and romantic periods because it is taken to be self-justifying. This creates a very self biased view on the way that situations should be dealt with and can create harmful situations when it comes to problem solving within social order and the justice system. This gives the sense of every man for himself and this could create …show more content…
He says “All men recognize the right of revolution; that is, the right to refuse allegiance to, and to resist, the government, when its tyranny or its inefficiency are great and unendurable” (Civil Disobedience, Thoreau). Thoreau believes that government is rarely useful and that it gets its power from the majority because they are the most powerful, not because they have the most legitimate views and actions. Thoreau doubts the effectiveness of reform within the government. He believes that the best way to handle the tyranny and try to end it is to dissociate from the government, and refuse to participate in its institutions.
Tocqueville, Mill, and Thoreau, all believe that the tyranny of majority is negatively effecting and harming both the government and society. They believe that to fight the majority people hould stand up for what they want and believe and not let this majority take