A fallacy and metafallacy where
one argues that slavery is acceptable if a majority votes for it, that atrocities are justified if a majority supports them, that abuses are legitimate if they have
popular backing. The Majoritarian Fallacy confuses descriptive fact (many people want this) with normative justification (this is therefore
right)—and worse, uses majority
support to immunize atrocities from critique. It's the
logic behind "if it was so bad, why did everyone
go along with it?" and "democratically elected authoritarianism is still democracy" and "the people have spoken." The fallacy
lies in treating majority preference as moral warrant, as if numbers could transmute exploitation into legitimacy, as if counting hands could launder blood. It's a metafallacy because it preemptively delegitimizes critique—challenging the atrocity becomes challenging the people, questioning the majority becomes questioning democracy itself.