![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Therefore, despite its appeal and aplomb, the new tolerance is both intolerant and internally incoherent.Ī critical error of the new tolerance is that it conflates beliefs and persons. involves the rejection of dogmatism and absolutism’ sound a little, well. Is not this concept of tolerance being imposed on all peoples and cultures, in direct violation of one of its own tenets? And as Carson points out, “does not the assertion, ‘Tolerance. Yet underlying this view of tolerance is a fundamental contradiction. The new tolerance rejects “dogmatism and absolutism,” affirms that each person has the right to live by his convictions, and eschews imposing one’s views upon others. In other words, all views are seen as equally valid and true. The key distinction is that under the old tolerance, one would accept the existence of other views even while rejecting some views as false but under the new tolerance, one accepts these other views. The emergent new tolerance holds that persons who are truly tolerant accept the views of others and treat these individuals fairly. Over the course of the last century, however, the old view of tolerance has been slowly transformed. Coercion, exclusion, slander, and threats of force have no place in the search for truth. The pursuit of truth requires mutual cooperation, serious consideration of opposing beliefs, and persuasion through the use of reason. The traditional understanding of tolerance reflects a certain epistemology: namely, that there is such a thing as truth, it can be known, and the best way to discover the truth is through debate, reflection, and investigation. In other words, this definition is built on a clear and obvious distinction between a person and his beliefs. Disagreeing with or being intolerant of a belief, in this view, is fundamentally different from being intolerant or hateful toward the person who holds that belief. It does them no harm or offense to disagree with them or offer a rebuttal. Since beliefs are abstract objects communicated through propositions in written or spoken language, they have no inherent dignity in themselves. This conception entails tolerance toward the person while allowing intolerance toward beliefs. Carson paraphrases it in The Intolerance of Tolerance, “I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.” You do not have to like the person with whom you disagree, but you do have to respect and tolerate his right to speak. Under the traditional view of tolerance, two aspects were required: first, that you respected the right of the person or individual in question to hold his beliefs and voice his opinions and second, that you had a right to disagree with those beliefs and contest them both privately and publicly. On the contrary, they are the consequence of a mistaken view of tolerance that is itself a product of a warped postmodern epistemology. Bigotry is not simply disagreeing with what someone else believes it is an unwillingness to tolerate or accept the person who holds those beliefs.Ī little reflection on this definition will reveal that the vast majority of bigotry accusations populating the internet and in public discourse are not legitimate ones. ![]() Where does the charge of bigotry come from? Is it just a passing fad, a political and social tool for power and control, or do its roots go deeper?īigotry is defined as “intolerance toward those who hold different opinions from oneself.” Notice that bigotry is not intolerance toward the opinions or beliefs of persons other than yourself, but intolerance of the other person. If you dare to suggest that gender is determined by sex and is immutable, that same-sex sex acts are immoral, or that marriage is a permanent, exclusive union of husband and wife, then you will be called an intolerant bigot, hater, and homophobe. America is in the midst of a raging national debate on issues surrounding sexuality and gender. ![]()
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