Popular acceptance neither proves truth nor wisdom of a belief

Evidence

The popular acceptance of a policy or practice does not show it to be wise; the fact that a great many people hold to a given opinion does not prove it to be true. The test is whether the believers are expert or at least competent in the field, or on the particular proposition believed. — Ruggero J. Aldisert, Agatha D. Aldisert, Logic for Lawyers- A Guide to Clear…, 1061

Categorization

• DEFINE: States the core error of ad populum reasoning and the correct test: competence, not numbers, determines validity.
• corroborated: 2 independent passages support this claim — Ruggero J. Aldisert, Agatha D. Aldisert, Logic for Lawyers- A Guide to Clear…, 1061
• XREF: connects to: Pragmatism relates to ancient skepticism via valuing opinions by utility — Bertrand Russell, History of Western Philosophy, 399; We exist neither in closed horizons nor within a horizon that is unique; we must reject both the assumption of absolute knowledge and the assumption of objectivity. — Fusion of horizons; Scholarship is a civil conversation rather than a contest over truth — James W. Carey, Communication as Culture- Essays on…, 333 (+4 more)

Broader Connections

• Pragmatism relates to ancient skepticism via valuing opinions by utility #corroborates (0.40) — Bertrand Russell, History of Western Philosophy, 399