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Single Idea 21526

[filed under theme 24. Political Theory / D. Ideologies / 5. Democracy / f. Against democracy ]

Full Idea

It is a painful fact that the ordinary voter, at any rate in England, is quite blind to insincerity.

Gist of Idea

Unfortunately ordinary voters can't detect insincerity

Source

Bertrand Russell (Political Ideals [1917], 3)

Book Ref

Russell,Bertrand: 'Political Ideals' [Spokesman 2007], p.51


A Reaction

Gor blimey yes! Well said, Bertie. Even in the age of television, when you can examine them in closeup, people seem to confuse superficial charm with genuine positive convictions. Why are people better at detecting it in private life?


The 13 ideas with the same theme [reasons for doubting democratic politics]:

Ultimate democracy is tyranny [Aristotle]
If one despises illiterate mechanics individually, they are not worth more collectively [Cicero]
Unfortunately the majority do not tend to favour what is best [Seneca]
Democracy leads to internal strife, as people struggle to maintain or change ways of ruling [Rousseau]
When ministers change the state changes, because they always reverse policies [Rousseau]
Democracy diminishes mankind, making them mediocre and lowering their value [Nietzsche]
Democracy is organisational power in decline [Nietzsche]
In democracy we are more aware of being governed than of our tiny share in government [Russell]
Democratic institutions become impossible in a fanatical democracy [Russell]
On every new question the majority is always wrong at first [Russell]
Unfortunately ordinary voters can't detect insincerity [Russell]
Party politics in a democracy can't avoid an anti-democratic party [Weil]
Democrats are committed to a belief and to its opposite, if the majority prefer the latter [Scruton]