Single Idea 20499

[catalogued under 24. Political Theory / D. Ideologies / 5. Democracy / b. Consultation]

Full Idea

Condorcet proved that provided people have a better than even chance of getting the right answer, and that they vote for their idea of the common good, then majority decisions are an excellent way to get the right result.

Gist of Idea

Condorcet proved that sensible voting leads to an emphatically right answer

Source

Jonathan Wolff (An Introduction to Political Philosophy (Rev) [2006], 3 'Voting')

Book Reference

Wolff,Jonathan: 'An Introduction to Political Philosophy (Rev)' [OUP 2006], p.75


A Reaction

[compressed] The point is that collective voting magnifies the result. If they tend to be right, the collective view is super-right. But if they tend towards the wrong, the collective view goes very wrong indeed. History is full of the latter.