Musharraf Discovers David Hume

A few years ago in London, I was part of a circle that included quite a few Pakistani Brits, all top professionals. And I became aware of efforts by some of the great powers to broker a deal between the late Benazir Bhutto and General Musharraf. The aim? To keep the general in power. I used to ask: what about the role of public opinion in Pakistan in all this? You see this all the time, the tendency to ignore the relevance of public opinion to schemes involving power and governance. The recent departure of the general,  after public opinion in Pakistan turned against him almost totally and he ran out of options, reminds me of David Hume's famous reflection titled 'Of the first principles of government'. The first two paragraphs read thus:

NOTHING appears more surprizing to those, who consider human affairs with a philosophical eye, than the easiness with which the many are governed by the few; and the implicit submission, with which men resign their own sentiments and passions to those of their rulers. When we enquire by what means this wonder is effected, we shall find, that, as FORCE is always on the side of the governed, the governors have nothing to support them but opinion. It is therefore, on opinion only that government is founded; and this maxim extends to the most despotic and most military governments, as well as to the most free and most popular. The soldan of EGYPT, or the emperor of ROME, might drive his harmless subjects, like brute beasts, against their sentiments and inclination: But he must, at least, have led his mamalukes, or prætorian bands, like men, by their opinion.

Opinion is of two kinds, to wit, opinion of INTEREST, and opinion of RIGHT. By opinion of interest, I chiefly understand the sense of the general advantage which is reaped from government; together with the persuasion, that the particular government, which is established, is equally advantageous with any other that could easily be settled. When this opinion prevails among the generality of a state, or among those who have the force in their hands, it gives great security to any government.

The upshot: Public opinion is a critical force in governance. Rulers ignore it at their peril. Sometimes, I think more leaders need to read David Hume's great essay before it is too late for them.

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