PHIL 320A Lecture 10: PHIL-320A,University of Arizona,TextbookReadings(p10)
30 Aug 2018
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- in time, a democratic republic came to occupy most of the Earth’s surface and was known as
the will of the people, etc. — but the will of the people only meant the will of the most
numerous or most active part of the people; the majority consequently oppressing a part of
their number — and precautions are much needed agains this as against any other abuse of
power
- ‘the tyranny fo the majority’ is now included among the evils which society requires to
be on its guard
- collective society’s mens of tyrannizing are not restricted to the acts which it may do by the
hands of its political functionaries — and if it does issue wrong mandates, it practices a social
tyranny more formidable than many kinds of political oppression
- thus, there needs to be protection against society’s tendency to impose
- there is a limit to the legitimate interference of the collective opinion with individual
independence: and to find and maintain that limit is as indispensable to a good condition
of human affairs as os protection against political despotism
- how to place the adjustment between individual independence and soul control?
- effect of custom
- the practical principle which guides everyone to their opinions on the regulation of human
conduct is the feelings in each person’s mid that everyone should be required to act as them —
but no one acknowledges their standard of judgment is an opinion on point of conduct and it
isn’t supported by reasons but only by preferences
- its a creation of class interests and feelings and feelings of class superiority
- the general and obvious interests of society have had an influenced on moral sentiment; less
based on reason but more so on their own account
- the only principle that has been taken and maintained with consistency is that of religious
belief
- the majority have not yet learnt to feel the power of the government their power, or its
opinions their opinions — when they do so, individual liberty will be as much exposed from
the invasion of the government as it already is from public opinion
Document Summary
In time, a democratic republic came to occupy most of the earth"s surface and was known as the will of the people, etc. The tyranny fo the majority" is now included among the evils which society requires to be on its guard. Thus, there needs to be protection against society"s tendency to impose. There is a limit to the legitimate interference of the collective opinion with individual independence: and to find and maintain that limit is as indispensable to a good condition of human affairs as os protection against political despotism. Its a creation of class interests and feelings and feelings of class superiority. The general and obvious interests of society have had an influenced on moral sentiment; less based on reason but more so on their own account. The only principle that has been taken and maintained with consistency is that of religious belief.
