The (Non)future of Democracy

An interesting concept that I came across while at the Innovations in Learning Conference was that democracy is not the voice of the many, but the voice of the majority. This is obvious, of course…democracy is based on majority rules, and the majority chooses one law or person to govern the rest. I suppose it’s hardly fair when you think about it…the many are distilled down into the one, which makes it impossible for the one to represent the needs of the many…and this is meant to be the most ideal form of government in our Western society.

However, it got me thinking: what if we lived in a society without a democracy, theocracy, dictatorship, republic, or monarchy? All of these forms of government focus on having a very small group of people—or one person—rule the majority. Communism is one such idea for a socialist structure…but it hasn’t been too successful, having dissolved into totalitarian states instead. Regardless, what if we lived in a society where the masses really did rule?

We’ve already seen it in action of a sort, online and in the television viewing audience. When memes or viral news and marketing take over, the mob of a media audience can create an icon or crash a star (just to name a couple of examples). I wonder if in the future, this same mob of people—all connected to the immediacy of stream-of-conciousness communications derived from a primitive form of Twitter and other thought-sharing tools—could self-govern effectively enough to be efficient, and yet still respect individuality?

Because of course, the other side of the equation is to have a Borg-like society, which no human who values their individuality would find appealing…even if it does ensure the most prosperous survival of the society as a whole. So my question is this: would it be possible, even remotely, for a society to maintain a peaceful level of governance not by unanimous agreement, or by democratic rule…but by common decision-making and agreement? Keeping the balance between disagreeing members of society, rather than allowing one side to govern the other until the balance of power shifts…is that even conceivable? If so, what would a society like that look like, sound like, or feel like to you?

I think if you were able to conceive of how such a society would function, it would make a fantastic setting for a futuristic story…a story that feels very different from the hierarchy-based societies about which we are used to dreaming.

…I have to be honest though, I’m having trouble even imagining it!