THE CHINA MAIL, MAY 6, 1987.
What Is Public Opinion?
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Between those of the same social generally, will constitute public of the character of the leaders for-
We are accustomed toeditors, and level wrocitition same
others claim to voice public opinion, tercourse is normal and un-em- Public opinion as thus expressed not barrassed. The canons of tradi- infrequently contradicts itself and tion, propriety, and form accepted the questions arise→
by social strata are assiduously im- planted in the children. The great (a) What is meant by public public schools in England are the opinion?
(b) How is public moulded or formed?
expression?
malating public opinion, and this is an instinct which the use of poli- tical franchise trains and develops, This brings me to my next point. so that where national issues are How is public opinion moulded or involved, generally speaking, the formed?
public is enabled to come to sound conclusions as to the point of view cradles of sectional opinion, the
Prior to about 1815 there was no they will support. younger generation grows up and is sustained and continuous public opinion trained in the accepted standards of opinion in England. Public opinion.
its predecessors and adopts the in England may be said to have opinions to which it becomes accus- originated with the evangelical re-
:
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Just as a flash of lightning gives a
and saves
(c) How does public opinion find tomed rather than to which it has vival about the beginning of the glimpse of a landscape, so a slogan, given assent. Such attitude may eighteenth century. The first in- a catch-phrase, a half-truth gives a correctly be said to reflect the gen- stance of an attempt to mould or glimpse of a problem Public opinion may be defined as erally accepted consensus of opinion form public opinion was the cam- much trouble. It is because of the "the opinion of the
man-in-the- of the classes concerned, but it is paign against slavery which was growth of propaganda and the in street on any public matter or upon far from being an expression of due to the burning zeal of William ability of the public to discern the any subject which is engaging the public opinion. It is the traditional Wilberforce and his fellow evange truth, the whole truth and nothing attention of a large section of the attitude of a section or sections of licals both inside and outside the but the truth, that makes democracy public as a living and vital ques-
the public only.
Church. The attempt to arouse the hardest form of Government to tion demanding action."
public opinion was pursued
with work. Public opinion on the other hand tenacious energy for twenty years leaders, tolerance, disinterestedness, It expects so much of its is, as I have premised, the Public opinion is not necessarily lent view on some matter promin- the country and eventually so pro-s
preva~ by organised meetings throughout honesty of mind and judgment. confined to the more or less educat- ently before the people. Unlike sec- foundly interested the mind of the ed public who can be interested and tional opinion it changes, and pub- public, and so stirred its conscience tricate matters, in which the few
The verdict of all sorts of instructed by meetings or news- lic opinion to-day is different from with regard to the moral degrada- who know, appeal for the support papers, but is the opinion of the public opinion of yesterday. majority of the people on any sub- ject. The dictionary meaning of public opinion is "the prevalent view on politics, morality, etc.”
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some
in-
tion of slavery, that it led to the of a large majority of the public formation of a strong and insistent which has no chance of knowing, public demand for legislation eman- comes to depend too often upon who eipating slaves. The band of work has the largest audience or the most ers led by Wilberfore came to the enticing voice. The party or leader epochmaking decision that
who has the best access to the most Public opinion largely ceases to be powerful expression of a united will space in the newspapers is obvions- a líve question after action has by all sections of the community, ly at an advantage, for even when followed its general expression, i.e., public opinion, clear and un- the Editor is scrupulously fair Lo whereas on the other hand, sectional mistakable, was necessary in order the other side, fairness is not What is meant by public opinion? opinion is a more or less constant to force the apathetic Government enough. It will be well to clear the ground factor, and, as I have explained, is of the day to take the necessary to start with by differentiating be handed down from one generation preliminary action. They devoted tween public opinion proper and to another, sometimes in a modified themselves to the work of creating pseudoforms of public opinion, form. Public opinion must include public opinion and they eventually Coming now to my third point--- sectional opinions. Pseudo public sectional opinion of all kinds, but triumphed with the result that the I have already pointed out that ac- opinion is the opinion of sections heaval to unite the various strata out the British Empire. Their suc-follow a general expression of public it needs a very great social up- slave trade was abolished through- tion may usually be expected to of the public consisting of one or of a nation, in accepting a common cess led others to follow their ex- opinion but how does public opinion more - classes of the people. Sec- tional opinion is founded upon social
standard of conduct or outlook on ample and the initiation of agita- find e expression 7 We are accustom- some vital customs, and although such opinion unity is secured there is no real ed way of creating public opinion, are called to express publie opinion problem. Until such tion has since become the recognised to large public meetings which is often very strongly held and very public opinion though there may be Those who wish to create public clearly defined, it is entirely differ considerable agreement or concensus opinion must make use of what is described as forming public opinion -they would be more correctly ent and distinct from public opin- of opinion. It follows that in ion, or the opinion of
a known in these days as propaganda. —but in any case if the enthusiasm the man- country where sectional, may I say in-the-street, It cannot be denied, communal, opinion is strong public opinions crystallised into what
The question arisesHow
engendered at a meeting soon dies however, that sectional opinion has opinion is necessarily hard to form called public opinion on
are down and is soon forgotten, those is in authority may be reasonably e often an influence in the formation and weak.
questions and reaction of public opinion.
cused if they deny that public opin- engaging public: attention when an illustration of what I mean by
there is no opportunity for the pub public feel strongly on any
ion was behind the meeting. If the sub- sectional opinion I need only refer
lic to verify statements or facts ject, action of some sort necessarily to the fact that most of us are
which they are called upon to ac follows and it is the duty of poli- influenced in our actions by the
Public opinion deals with indirect, give at length the pros and cons
cept? Even if it is advisable to tical leaders correctly to interpret knowledge that if we acted contrary unseen, and often puzzling facts,
any indication of public opinion. to the commonly accepted view of and such opinion is of necessity bas- any important national issue, those with whom we constantly come
ed on assumptions rather than on
there are very distinct limits upon In politics it has been justly ob- considered facts.
the circulation of such information. served that a politician follows public. in contact, even our friends would
It isn't always Necessarily the very large body of opinion, a statesman leads it. A criticise our conduct as "bad form,"
easy to form a sound judgment as or "not playing the game."
most of the problems of the day facts, in many of the important leader of a political movement may whether social, economic or political, questions engaging public attention, be entirely distinct from any of thus unconsciously adopt and carry are so complicated and technical never reaches the public or at any the parties of his day, as was Wil- on the view which has become ac- They are matters for experts. Most rate only very slowly permeates into berforce whom I have mentioned. cepted as the prevalent or majority of us at the best can only hope to general knowledge. Even if it did, Similarly a party leader need not be opinion of our section of society.
be intelligent amateurs. We review
each one of us has comparatively a statesman. He may be an adopt, the evidence and take the advice meagre time available each day for perhaps, in party propaganda, but which we consider best. But evi- paying attention to public affairs, in no sense personally influences dence can be juggled with, and the It is very clear that public opinion publie opinion. The great men in advice offered isn't always the best is formed on very limited informa- English politics have been states- This is the great danger and weak tion put the man-in-the-men in the sense that they have tinctions which determine social spot of democracy, that it is expos the public to verify of the state, ed the currents of public opinion,
street, who
no opportunity for anticipated, Influenced and divert- standing, here in Hong Kong wee
ed to every form of clap-trap and
ments contained in the information. Political leaders need not necessarily are accustomed to the traditional one sided propaganda. divisions of race and creed and so
be the originators of new trends of Sectional opinion can be differ- In democracy the man-in-the thought or those into whose brains long as these distinctions remain entiated from public opinion in that street, as typifying the public, is such new ideas first entered. But there must be sectional opinion: it cannot necessarily convince Gov- credited with what is called "horse though a statesman does not usually
“Communal” opinion is a handi- ernment that the will of the peo- sense." In spite of the fact as I invent ideas, it is in one w
the formation of public ple is behind it on any line of ac- have pointed out that he can have another owing to his pe
tion it is proposed to take.
We no real knowledge of some import fluence that those particular, ideas have seen how difficult it is to be ant problem engaging public at do spread and affect public opinion In England the differences be sure that information is reliable tention, on which his opinion is and so achieve political power. For tween social strata are real though which guides our choice or action required, he is assumed to have instance would 19th century Imper- they are not definitely marked off, in the smaller things of life, but an “intuition" which enables him to ialism have been what it was with- Such social divisions are not neces- it is still more difficult to get the take a sound common-sense view in out Disraeli? Would Home Rule for sarily determined by money, they are essential facts and the actual truth large political issues. At best the Ireland have become the result rather of birth, or educa- upon which we accept or refuse to man-in-the-street is rarely more issue in the eighteen eighties but a burning tion and vocation.
"accept a decision which, if accepted than instinctively, a shrewd judge for Gladstone?
There are in every country
opinion.
"
We
on
.
way or personal in-