Sayfa 39Tyranny of the Majority with its New Version Specific to Digital Democracy
Nagehan GÜRBÜZ ERSOY
Abstract
Tocqueville recognized the inevitability of representative democracies in the 19th century and pointed to the new threat posed by this democracy. This danger was the tyranny of the majority, arising from the absolute and unlimited power attributed to the majority in democracies.…
Among the questions addressed in this study, the most important one is: Have the benefits of the digital age eliminated the possibility of the tyranny of the majority, which is one of the most basic dangers related to democracy, or are we facing a new tyranny of the majority specific to the digital democracy, beyond Tocqueville’s imagination?…
This question is also important for democracy discussions in Türkiye. In Türkiye, there is a political approach that suggests only one majority is fit to govern, and this majority must maintain its position as the ruling majority. This has led to polarization in society and makes the debate about the tyranny of the majority relevant in the Turkish context.…
Tocqueville’s fear of the tyranny of the majority has been criticized from various angles. One of the most significant criticisms in this context is the changeability of majorities. According to this criticism, the majority is not a fixed, identifiable, unchanging group that seeks …
Building upon this criticism, we can reach the intersection of the tyranny of the majority and digital democracy. Contrary to what the above criticism suggests, digitalization can indeed lead to the emergence of fixed and unchanging majorities. The exposure to content that further amplifies individuals’ existing thoughts through the offerings of new technologies can lead to a deeper division of society into “us vs. them,” where interactions with those holding different opinions become rare.…
While the personalization features of the Internet might seem to make our daily lives easier, they can intensify differences between groups and increase societal polarization. Filter bubbles can confine us within a cocoon of personal interests and, more importantly, private interests, making it impossible to be aware of or care about public issues beyond this narrow frame.…
Tocqueville also argued that in democracies, people would pursue their material welfare and personal interests, isolate themselves from one another, remain indifferent to public matters, and these conditions would pave the way for democratic despotism. In this context, the conditions Tocqueville believed would lead to democratic despotism are similar to the outcomes produced by algorithms today.…
The rise of populism enriched with digital opportunities has a significant role in distorting truth. Populism, being based on the objective of a particular majority to preserve its status as the majority, increases the likelihood of the emergence of majority tyranny in democracies. New technologies, including social media, can also be claimed to facilitate populist politics. Populist leaders tend to exclude independent judiciary, free press, and civil society organizations that are crucial for democracy, and they create an impression of directly connecting with the people through technological means.…
In conclusion, despite the attempts of the present age to develop new remedies to prevent the tyranny of the majority, the possibility of this tyranny still exists in the context of digital democracies.…
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