system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
Why should I recognise "majority" rule as legitimate or having authority? If I am in the minority my views are just as unrepresented by the policies of the majority to which I am subject as they would be if those policies were instated by a monarch.
gpt
I think you’re referring to the “tyranny of the majority” problem that some philosopher like Mill have pointed out. Many people agree that rule by minority (oligarchy) would be much worse, but that doesn’t seem to justify rule by majority. Typically, the measures taken to mitigate the tyranny include decentralizing the decision-making to a lower level (e.g. from state to local), limits placed upon the legislature such as judicial review or other separation of powers and rights guaranteed to people. Though even in a highly decentralized direct democracy (i.e. anarchism), some disagree with the principle of majority rule, advocating on consensus-based decision making: we already do this in our lives, for example when you and your friends are deciding where to go eat or what movie to watch.