Comment by breppp
2 days ago
I read your reply to be alluding to the foucault concept of power, as it was in the context of power systems "censoring" ideas
furthermore, in this specific quote they do not differ a lot. maybe mainstream opinion is mainstream because it is more correct, moral or more beneficial to society?
he does not try to negate such statements, he just tries to prove mainstream opinion is wrong due to being mainstream (or the result of mainstream "power")
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> Are you six years old? Approval of slavery or torture used to be mainstream opinions
And also disapproval of cannibalism is a mainstream opinion, that doesn't change the fact that popularity of an opinion does not make it wrong or immoral just like it doesn't make it right or moral
> You have deeply misunderstood his criticisms
So please explain how am I mistaken in your opinion
>that popularity of an opinion does not make it wrong or immoral just like it doesn't make it right or moral
I know. You were the one who suggested the converse.
>So please explain how am I mistaken in your opinion
The argument is not that mainstream ideas are necessarily false, that would be an idiotic position. The idea is just that the media has incentives to go along with what powerful people want them to say because there are real material benefits from going along. In fact, the whole point of the model is that it doesn't require a concerted conspiracy, it falls out naturally from the incentive structures of modern society.
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