I ran across a quote recently by William Lloyd Garrison. Or maybe just a question. It goes:
“Are right and wrong convertible terms, dependent upon popular opinion?”
It is quite a thing to think about. And if you step back for a moment from everything, you think about what is right and what is wrong and consider how you came to those conclusions.
Things become complicated, I think. The notion that right and wrong are convertible terms, dependent upon popular opinion, delves into the complex interaction between some key factors:
Ethics
Morality
Societal Norms.
This quote — this perspective– suggests that the definitions of right and wrong can shift based on the beliefs and attitudes of a given society at a particular time.
One of the fundamental arguments in favor of this view is that moral standards are not universal. They are not fixed or unchanging. No. Instead, they evolve with cultural, social, and historical contexts.
For instance, it was once socially acceptable to abuse your wife and to treat her as a servant.
For another, slavery was once a socially accepted institution.
Now, slavery is universally regarded as a moral atrocity. On the other hand, treating your wife as a lesser person still happens quite widely, even here in the United States.
But, in so many cases (such as slavery), this shift illustrates how societal consensus can redefine moral judgments. And therefore, it suggests that popular opinion plays a significant role in determining what is perceived as right or wrong.
But here is the thing. This perspective raises critical questions about the nature of morality itself.
And haven’t we seen this? Not only in the past but maybe more so today?
If right and wrong are solely determined by popular opinion, then moral judgments become subjective. And also potentially arbitrary.
And this is what I am speaking to. All of this could lead to a scenario where majority views override minority rights. As such, it could “justify” actions that may be harmful or unjust to certain individuals or groups.
Historical atrocities, such as the Holocaust or racial segregation, were supported by prevailing societal beliefs, weren’t they? And this shows us more than anything the dangers of equating popular opinion with moral truth.
I would say that right and wrong are influenced by popular opinion in the United States. And with that, we need to be very careful.
For the good and well-being of all of us. For our freedoms.
“”””””””
“The time is always right to do what is right.” — Martin Luther King Jr.
“”””””””
“The good for man is an activity of the soul in accordance with virtue.” — Aristotle
“”””””””
“Morality is the herd instinct in the individual.” — Friedrich Nietzsche
“”””””””
Right vs. Wrong. Who is to say?
