Concept: Historical Perspectives on Tolerance
– Karl Popper’s writings on tolerance of intolerance in ‘The Open Society and Its Enemies’
– Thomas Jefferson’s address on tolerance in his 1801 inaugural speech
– Gaetano Mosca’s highlighting of the danger of tolerating the destruction of tolerant principles
– John Rawls’ arguments for tolerating the intolerant but with limits
Concept: Definition and Components of Tolerance
– Tolerance involving objecting to but enduring certain acts, ideas, organizations, and identities voluntarily
– Tolerance consisting of an objection component and an acceptance component
– Balancing reasons crucial in deciding whether to tolerate something
– Drawing a line between tolerant and intolerant actions necessary in implementing tolerance
Concept: Proposed Solutions to the Paradox of Tolerance
– Rainer Forst’s view of tolerance as a social norm and distinction between types of intolerance
– Karl Popper’s emphasis on rational argument in countering intolerance and the right to suppress intolerant movements if necessary
– John Rawls’ argument for tolerating the intolerant under certain circumstances
– Setting limits based on a higher moral order to resolve the contradiction between tolerance and moral wrongs
Concept: Tolerance in Relation to Freedom of Speech
– The relevance of the paradox of tolerance in discussing boundaries for freedom of speech
– Raph Kahan’s struggle against Kahanism in Israel in the context of liberty and tolerance
Concept: Influence of Social Norms and Research on Tolerance
– Homophily and intolerance
– Tolerance strained by intolerant in-group views
– Intolerant attitudes leading to ostracization
– Social norms influencing individual attitudes
– Studies on social balanced networks and relationship dynamics in a community model
The paradox of tolerance states that if a society's practice of tolerance is inclusive of the intolerant, intolerance will ultimately dominate, eliminating the tolerant and the practice of tolerance with them. Karl Popper describes the paradox as arising from the fact that, in order to maintain a tolerant society, the society must retain the right to be intolerant of intolerance.
