Consensus (disambiguation)

Consensus (disambiguation) refers to the concept of general agreement or the lack of opposition among a group of individuals. The term "consensus" is derived from Latin, meaning "agreement, accord," and has been adopted into English to describe a collective opinion or decision. It is widely used across various fields, including politics, sociology, psychology, and business, to denote a form of decision-making that seeks to achieve broad agreement among all participants. This article explores different contexts in which the term consensus is used and related concepts.

Consensus in Decision-Making

In the context of decision-making, consensus refers to a process where all members of a group support the decision taken. It is a collaborative approach that involves discussions, negotiations, and compromises to reach a decision that is acceptable to all members of the group. Consensus decision-making is often contrasted with other forms of decision-making, such as majority rule or authoritarian decisions.

Consensus in Science

In science, consensus is used to describe a general agreement among the scientific community, often on a particular theory or finding. Scientific consensus is achieved through the accumulation of evidence and is considered a strong indicator of the reliability of a scientific theory or discovery. Examples include the consensus on climate change and the theory of evolution.

Consensus in Medicine

In the field of medicine, consensus can refer to a consensus statement or guideline. These are developed by panels of experts who review the available evidence on a particular issue and make recommendations for best practices. Consensus statements are important tools for guiding clinical practice and are often used when there is a lack of strong evidence from clinical trials.

Other Uses

• Consensus mechanism: In computer science and blockchain technology, a consensus mechanism is a protocol that ensures all participants in a distributed network agree on a single data value, such as the validity of transactions. Examples include Proof of Work and Proof of Stake.
• Consensus reality: In philosophy and psychology, consensus reality refers to the agreed-upon concepts of reality which people in the world, or a culture or group, believe are real (or treat as real), based on mutual agreements.

See Also

• Delphi method
• Groupthink
• Social contract
• Unanimity

This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title Consensus (disambiguation).