Is the good of the many better than the good of the one? What if you are the one in question?

Excellent question. We have the benefit of knowledgeable writing on this very subject from the Founding Fathers. Hamilton, Jay, Jefferson and Madison wrote a series of articles published un the name "Publius" contemoraneously with the drafting of the U. S. Constitution. Today this body of work is called the "Federalist Papers".

In Federalist 10, James Madison addresses the very issue you raise. In that article he warns about the political theory known as "Majoritarian Tyranny". The Constitution is careful to protect the rights of ALL Americans, not just he majority or a selected few. The warning says, in effect, the majority doesn't always protect the rights of all Americans, rather it protects the rights of only the majority. The protection of the majority's rights can, and often does, abrogate the rights of minorities. Clearly an unconstitutional position. We, therefore, have a Supreme Court which is supposed to keep this majoritarian tyranny in check by interpreting the laws passed by our legislatures in conformance with the Consitutional theory of protecting the rights of ALL Americans.

Read it, I think you'll find it informative.

Comments

I really like this answer in a general sense. The legal ramifications have indeed already been established, and theoretically, fixing any problems associated with majority tyranny. I was posing the question in an attempt to discuss personal ethics though.
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by AFguy on June 28th, 2010

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Is the good of the many better than the good of the one? What if you are the one in question?

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