Democracy, Tyranny, and Liberty

Aeon Skoble

Aeon J. Skoble is Professor of Philosophy at Bridgewater State University focussing his research on issues that include theories of rights, the nature and justification of authority, classical theories of happiness, and theories of legal interpretation.

Do democracies promote freedom? According to Prof. Aeon Skoble, it is definitely possible for democracies to promote freedom, but it is not a guarantee. This is due to a few flaws inherent in democratic systems:

1) Majority belief in something does not necessarily mean that it’s true.
2) Majorities are capable of being just as tyrannical as kings
3) Historically, democracies have elected tyrannical leaders.

If freedom is the primary value of a society, democracy might still be of use so long as there are boundary conditions on the democratic process that protect the rights of the individual.

For more, visit Learn​Lib​er​ty​.org.