The Tolerant Individual (Forst)

The Tolerant Individual (Forst)

1. Components

   • Objection
     • To tolerate something we must initially object to it on a personal principle
   • Acceptance
     • This is balanced by our acceptance that for whatever reason, the objectionable activity must freely continue
   • Rejection
     • Tolerance must have limits, so if the objectionable action/belief break the limits of acceptability, we must stop it

2. Conceptions

   • Permission
     • Where a majority makes concessions to a minority, but rights are unequal/could be taken away.
       • In 1950s USA, a white person might not give black people the right to ride in the front of buses, but thinks that slavey is too extreme
     • could just be seen as another means of asserting dominance 'tyranny of the majority'
   • Co-existence
     • two groups with similar power compromise to facilitate peace/social stabilty
       • Religious Peace of Augsburg 1555
     • does not necessarily mean they respect eachother
   • Respect
     • Formal Equality (assimilation)
       • Cultural differences are limited to the private sphere.
         • wearing of Burqas in France
     • Qualitative Equality (integration)
       • Some public concessions made.
         • Sikhs allowed not to wear helmets on motorbikes in Britain
     • Fraternal/equal attitude to opponent.
   • Esteem
     • There is respect or esteem for certain aspects of the practice of an opponent.
       • Admiring the courage of a soldier but disagreeing with his cause.
     • However there still is objection

3. Not Tolerance

   • Indifference
     • you cannot tolerate something you don't specifically object to/have no opinion on
       • a person cannot tolerate racist comments if they find nothing objectionable within the comments
   • Indulgence
     • allowing something we disapprove of because we are fond of the person and want to 'indulge' them
       • if a parent allows a child to misbehave frequently because they don't want to tell them off
   • Weakness
     • the inability to prevent something implies an inability to tolerate it
       • being afraid to/inable to express disapproval or change the actions of the person you disapprove of.
         • a person in an abusive relationship cannot tolerate their partner's behaviour