A tolerant society is not one that is only tolerant of the right kind of diversity but tolerant of a wide variety of beliefs and practices. To an important degree, the more a society is tolerant, the more it is liberal.
But this statement is true only up to a point. Beyond this point, into the realm of harming and threatening others, and undermining justice and security, we could in fact say the more tolerant a society is, the less liberal the society is. Or to put this another way, toleration matters a great deal, but it is not the only thing that matters. And while the practice of toleration lies at the heart of liberalism, it is but one component.
Respecting Toleration: Traditional liberalism and contemporary diversity
by Peter Balint
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Chapter 1 A tolerant society
Three challenges for toleration
Diversity
Accommodating diversity
Justifying toleration
Traditional liberalism and toleration
Two types of agent: state and citizen
The role of principles
Outline of the book
Chapter 2 Understanding political toleration
Being ‘tolerant’
Specific acts of tolerance
Toleration as a general political practice
Toleration and state neutrality
Further challenges to political toleration
Alternative solutions to the problem of political toleration
Conclusion
Chapter 3 Active indifference: A neutral and accommodating state
Challenging neutrality
Conceptions of neutrality
Why care about neutrality?
Active indifference
Why ‘hands off’ is better than ‘hands on’
Identity and recognition
Not distinguishing between mere preferences and deeply held beliefs
Conclusion
Chapter 4 Tolerance and the citizen
An act of tolerance
Reducing intolerance
Tolerance and the state
A tolerant disposition
Conclusion
Chapter 5 Against respecting each others’ differences
An obligation to respect difference?
Appraisal respect for difference
Trying to respect
Being deemed ‘respect-worthy’
Tolerance and respect
Conclusion
Chapter 6 Practising Toleration
The weightiness of neutrality
Dealing with difference
The boundaries of toleration
Conclusion
Conclusion