Historical Development of Toleration:
– Etymology:
– Originated from Latin words ‘tolerans’ and ‘tolerare.’
– ‘Tolerance’ first used in Middle French in the 14th century.
– ‘Toleration’ first appeared in English in the 1510s.
– Religious Toleration:
– Linked to Sebastian Castellio.
– Further developed with the Toleration Act 1688.
– Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen:
– Adopted in 1789 during the French Revolution.
– Article 10 emphasizes non-interference with opinions, including religious ones.
– Upholds the importance of respecting differing views.
Modern Legal and International Framework:
– United Nations General Assembly:
– Adoption of Article 18 in 1948 emphasizing freedom of thought, conscience, and religion.
– Influence of Universal Declaration of Human Rights:
– Impact on national laws.
– Growing recognition of freedom of religion as a fundamental human right.
– Development of International Treaties:
– Promoting human rights.
Philosophical Perspectives and Critiques:
– John Stuart Mill and Ernest Renan:
– Views on liberty, suppression of opinions, and nationhood.
– Modern Definitions:
– Viewed as a component of liberal or libertarian human rights.
– Implications according to various scholars such as Herbert Butterfield and John Gray.
– Tolerating the Intolerant:
– Paradox discussed by Walzer, Popper, and Rawls.
– Arguments for tolerating intolerant sects unless directly threatening society.
Challenges and Criticisms:
– Undermining of Toleration:
– Via moral relativism.
– Ronald Dworkin’s perspective on enduring criticisms in a tolerant society.
– Societal Issues:
– Debate on the nature of the US as a tolerant secular or religious nation.
– Challenges posed by moral relativism and freedom of speech.
Further Reading and Comparative Analysis:
– Various scholarly works exploring:
– Historical contexts.
– Comparative analyses based on different perspectives.
– Authors and Publications:
– Highlighting different aspects of toleration and religious liberty.
– External Links:
– Providing additional resources for understanding tolerance.
Toleration is when one allows, permits, or accepts an action, idea, object, or person that one dislikes or disagrees with.
Political scientist Andrew R. Murphy explains that "We can improve our understanding by defining 'toleration' as a set of social or political practices and 'tolerance' as a set of attitudes." Random House Dictionary defines tolerance as "a fair, objective, and permissive attitude toward those whose opinions, beliefs, practices, racial or ethnic origins, etc., differ from one's own". The Merriam-Webster Dictionary associates toleration both with "putting up with" something undesirable, and with neglect or failure to prevent or alleviate it.
Both these concepts contain the idea of alterity: the state of otherness. Additional choices of how to respond to the "other", beyond toleration, exist. Therefore, in some instances, toleration has been seen as "a flawed virtue" because it concerns acceptance of things that were better overcome. Toleration cannot, therefore, be defined as a universal good, and many of its applications and uses remain contested.
Religious toleration may signify "no more than forbearance and the permission given by the adherents of a dominant religion for other religions to exist, even though the latter are looked on with disapproval as inferior, mistaken, or harmful". Historically, most incidents and writings pertaining to religious toleration involve the status of minority and dissenting viewpoints in relation to a dominant state religion. However, religion is also sociological, and the practice of toleration has always had a political aspect as well.
Toleration assumes a conflict over something important that cannot be resolved through normal negotiation without resorting to war or violence.[citation needed] As political lecturer Catriona McKinnon explains, when it comes to questions like what is "the best way to live, the right things to think, the ideal political society, or the true road to salvation, no amount of negotiation and bargaining will bring them to an agreement without at least one party relinquishing the commitments that created the conflict in the first place. Such conflicts provide the circumstances of toleration... [and] are endemic in society." "The urgency and relevance of this issue is only too obvious: without tolerance, communities that value diversity, equality, and peace could not persist."
An examination of the history of toleration includes its practice across various cultures. Toleration has evolved into a guiding principle, finding contemporary relevance in politics, society, religion, and ethnicity. It also applies to minority groups, including LGBT individuals. It is closely linked to concepts like human rights.
English
Etymology
From Middle French toleration, from Latin tolerātiōnem, accusative singular of tolerātiō, from the verb tolerō (“I tolerate”).
