Rafe Champion commented on 2018-12-15 22:50

Some thoughts from Karl Popper about the limits of tolerance are relevant to this debate. I have lost track of the precise sources but will find soon to write more about it. He was writing about this (article 628148-11502)

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Some thoughts from Karl Popper about the limits of tolerance are relevant to this debate. I have lost track of the precise sources but will find soon to write more about it. He was writing about this in New Zealand during the war while 16 of his relatives were lost in the Holocaust in Austria.

“Unlimited tolerance must lead to the disappearance of tolerance. If we extend unlimited tolerance even to those who are intolerant, if we are not prepared to defend a tolerant society against the onslaught of the intolerant, then the tolerant will be destroyed, and tolerance with them. — In this formulation, I do not imply, for instance, that we should always suppress the utterance of intolerant philosophies; as long as we can counter them by rational argument and keep them in check by public opinion, suppression would certainly be unwise. But we should claim the right to suppress them if necessary even by force; for it may easily turn out that they are not prepared to meet us on the level of rational argument, but begin by denouncing all argument; they may forbid their followers to listen to rational argument, because it is deceptive, and teach them to answer arguments by the use of their fists or pistols. We should therefore claim, in the name of tolerance, the right not to tolerate the intolerant.”

“I have insisted that we must be tolerant. But I also believe that this tolerance has its limits. We must not trust those anti-humanitarian religions which not only preach destruction but act accordingly. For if we tolerate them, then we become ourselves responsible for their deeds.”

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