Thoreau argues that moral truth is not determined by the number of people who support a position. An individual who believes a majority is acting unjustly should not assume that collective agreement makes the majority correct. The phrase “majority of one” expresses the idea that a single person acting according to conscience can possess moral authority even when standing alone.

Within Resistance to Civil Government, the statement supports Thoreau’s broader criticism of relying on majority rule as a sufficient measure of justice. Democratic decisions may reflect popular preference, but they do not automatically settle ethical questions. Thoreau therefore places responsibility on individuals to judge laws and political actions for themselves. The quote is often associated with principled dissent: it suggests that being outnumbered does not remove a person’s obligation to resist what they reasonably regard as wrong.