--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: And what has come to prevail in…" description: "\"And what has come to prevail in democracies is the very reverse of beneficial, in those, that is, which are regarded as the most democratically run. Th..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/af2/aristotle-78_beneficial_and-what-has-come-to-prevail-in-democrac_446450.png" --- # And what has come to prevail in democracies is the very… ![“And what has come to prevail in democracies is the very reverse of beneficial, in those, that is, which are regarded as the most democratically run. The reason for this lies in the failure properly to define liberty. For there are two marks by which democracy is thought to be defined: "sovereignty…” quote by Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/af2/aristotle-78_beneficial_and-what-has-come-to-prevail-in-democrac_446450.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/af2/aristotle-78_beneficial_and-what-has-come-to-prevail-in-democrac_446450.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/af2/aristotle-78_beneficial_and-what-has-come-to-prevail-in-democrac_446450.png) > “And what has come to prevail in democracies is the very reverse of beneficial, in those, that is, which are regarded as the most democratically run. The reason for this lies in the failure properly to define liberty. For there are two marks by which democracy is thought to be defined: "sovereignty of the majority" and "liberty." "Just" is equated with what is equal, and the decision of the majority as to what is equal is regarded as sovereign; and liberty is seen in terms of doing what one wants.” [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Critiques democracy when liberty is misdefined as unchecked majority rule, leading to oppression. **In simple terms:** Misdefined liberty harms democracy. Key Takeaway Guard against majority tyranny. Themes politics philosophy freedom Mood analytical thoughtful Type philosophical political When to use this quote - constitutional design - civil rights movements - policy debates - public discourse Key Concepts democratic theory liberty majority rule Questions to Reflect On - How can societies define liberty without enabling tyranny? - What safeguards protect against majority oppression? A Different Perspective Balancing majority rule with minority rights is complex. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Decision](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decision/) [Democracies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democracies/) [Democracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democracy/) [Economy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/economy/) [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Liberalism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/liberalism/) [Liberty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/liberty/) [Lying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lying/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Reason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reason/) [Running](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/running/) [Sovereign](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sovereign/) [Sovereignty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sovereignty/) ## Related quotes > [“A great deal of democratic enthusiasm descends from the ideas of people like Rousseau, who believed in democracy because they thought mankind so wise…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/a-great-deal-of-democratic-enthusiasm-descends-from-the-ideas-of/) [C. 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