1. Definitions:
1.1. MAJORITY
1.1.1. View of the majority is ethical: Morally good, justified, or acceptable.
1.1.2. Majority for any given community
1.2. ALWAYS
1.2.1. 'Always' is an absolute word which cannot be used in this statement, because there are exceptions.
1.3. RIGHT
1.3.1. Is rightness a universal concept? What is right can differ in different societies.
1.3.2. Can the majority be trusted with the responsibility of making the right decisions?
2. Stand: Yes
2.1. Consequences
2.1.1. The idea that the majority is always right can lead to what can be described as either the tyranny of the majority or "might makes right"
2.1.2. Minority suppression
2.1.2.1. Minorities have their own perspective, and may have more insights. They can be right in circumstances. In considering only the majority it violates human rights.
2.2. Factors to consider
2.2.1. The conventional morals that are considered what is right have been set as such because of that is what the majority at that time believes is right.
2.2.1.1. First it begins with a belief, then it catches on. This is basically what happens. It may not be agreeable to the public at that point in time, but after a while, public opinions change and something which was wrong becomes right or something which was right becomes wrong.
2.2.1.1.1. The majority is always right, not because that the majority would always make the decisions that would ensure the most succes; the majority is always right primarily because right and wrong of society is determined by the majority more often than not, thus if the majority says its right, it is.
3. Stand: No
3.1. Factors to consider
3.1.1. The majority cannot always be right, though they are, sometimes.
3.1.1.1. Lack of information
3.1.1.1.1. Gag orders and the Law (refer to ST Sunday article at home). Is justice served when information is withheld?
3.1.1.2. Not all decisions are morally correct, decisions can be superficial.
3.1.1.2.1. Warren Harding was not particularly intelligent, was a skirt-chaser, a drinker and loved poker. Despite his generally limited capacities, he was elected as the President of the United States simply because he looked loke how a president ought to look like. The convention delegates and similarly the voters, thought Harding who “radiated common sense and dignity” was the perfect candidate. Warren Harding did not contribute anything substantial to the presidency, and died two years into office from an unexpected stroke. Historians agreed that he was “one of the worst presidents in American history”.
3.1.2. The belief that the majority is always right is a logical fallacy. The view of the majority is what is popular, but not necessarily right.
3.1.2.1. Example: White Americans used to believe that slavery was permissible. Nowadays, slavery is acknowledged to be bad. This shows that what society views as right changes over time.
3.1.3. People are infallible: they make mistakes
3.2. Consequences
3.2.1. ???????
3.2.1.1. Favoritism of minorities
3.3. Areas to Consider
3.3.1. Logical/Legal
3.3.2. Moral & Cultural
3.3.3. Political
3.3.4. Historical
3.4. Why?
3.4.1. Humans are easily influenced /manipulated by other things
3.4.1.1. Superficial reasoning
3.4.1.1.1. Stereotypes and misconceptions
3.4.1.2. Lack of information
3.4.1.2.1. Media
3.4.1.2.2. Uneducated (cannot make a good vote)
3.4.1.3. Unclear
3.4.1.3.1. Media
3.4.2. Humans follow comfort (minimization of comfort), not moral uprightness (Utility)
3.4.2.1. Utility: by Jeremy Bentham ans James Mill
3.4.2.1.1. Can be wrong: If it is beneficial to kill a dictator, is it right to decide so?
3.4.3. Different perception of individuals
3.4.4. Humans are infallible
3.4.5. Ideas change over time
3.4.5.1. witch-hunting
3.4.5.2. slavery
4. Angles for Argument
4.1. What the majority supports in a given society is always ethically right.
4.1.1. In the political arena, those government decisions and policies accepted as ‘right’ by the majority are clearly those that best match the demands of the citizenry. Assuming that utility comes from the satisfaction of wants, then for the government to execute what the majority views as ‘right’ will maximize social utility and is therefore something that is ethically sound. In this view, it would seem that a democratic government based on majority opinion is the most ethical one, in that it can provide powerful incentives for generally self-interested politicians to cater to the desires of the mass electorate.
4.1.2. Consequentialist ethics asserts that what is ethically right is simply that which secures the maximum happiness (utility) for the greatest number of people.
4.1.2.1. Asserted that the actions one ought to perform in a given situation are those that promote the greatest good for the greatest number”. (Philosophy - Utility)
4.1.2.1.1. Links to democracy
4.2. The opinion of the majority is always true. (Not a fun angle)
4.2.1. If majority opinion is always correct, then we should no doubt still believe everything that were held in common by our stone-age ancestors.
4.2.2. Example: White Americans used to believe that slavery was permissible. Nowadays, slavery is acknowledged to be bad. This shows that what society views as right changes over time.
5. Interpretations of the question
5.1. Questioning Democracy
5.1.1. Comment on the fallibilities of democracy
5.1.1.1. Lack of choice: One cannot make a good judgement if the choices are limited.
5.1.1.2. The view of the majority can sometimes infringe on the rights and viewpoints of minorities
5.1.1.3. In countries where there are those that are uneducated, they may not make wise judgements
5.1.1.3.1. Masses have no information, so they cannot vote effectively.
5.2. Sociological viewpoint
5.2.1. This is that the majority is always right primarily because the one who defines right and wrong is the majority. It is undoubtedly the majority who defines who is right and wrong.
5.2.1.1. The question of ethics and morality can perhaps be said to be based on what society imagines it to be at any point of time. For example, in this liberal society, several people subscribe to abortion, where several people predicted the collapsion of ethics and morality in society when abortion was first introduced.
6. Conclusion
6.1. NO.
6.1.1. The majority may define what is right, but they are not always the ones who are right in the end.