Democracy

3. The paradox of democracy

If we examine democracy from the standpoint of the minority, as in the last section, this helps to focus the problem of its value. A democrat thinks that the majority view ought to be enacted. But in voting they also declare their own view about what ought to be enacted. When they are in a minority these diverge and they seem to be caught in a contradiction. There are two incompatible policies, A and not-A. Yet the minority democrat seems to think both that A ought to be enacted (because that is what the majority want) and also that not-A ought to be enacted (because that is their own view). Richard Wollheim (1962) called this the ‘paradox of democracy’.

However, if democracy can be given a value, the paradox is resolvable. For what we then have is a simple (and familiar) conflict of values. The democrat’s direct view of the matter indicates the value of the course of action for which they voted. But once it is defeated by the majority this rival course of action also possesses value. For it inherits the value of democracy. If, for example, democracy is taken to be an egalitarian procedure then adopting this rival course of action has egalitarian value.

An example: four of us in a car have to decide to go either to the beach or to the town. There is only one car and we can go to only one place. We agree to decide democratically, by vote. The vote is taken. I vote for the beach, and am outvoted by three to one. The beach is of value to me. This is shown by my vote. However, I am also a democrat. After the vote, the town also has value to me. With the town three people’s views are respected; with the beach only one. If I hold that people are of equal value, then I have a reason for the car to go to the town.