There was an editorial in this morning's Dallas Morning News by Jonathan Last concerning the "wisdom" of crowds. Drawing on some sociological studies, Last throws his support behind those who advocate the idea that crowds are often better at determining truth than any individual can be. Apart from the scant historical evidence for this assertion, (crowds once believed the world was flat and that the Earth was the center of the universe), Last continues writing in support of this idea. He cites the not inconsiderable scientific support for this idea.
While there are some areas of social and political life where this theory may be valid, one should be cautious in embracing it. There are many areas of social life where truth is not a matter of opinion. In such cases, the theory can be misleading, even harmful.
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