Tolerance is vital to the functioning of modern, liberal democracies. In societies where individual rights and freedoms are recognized and protected, some amount of tolerance of difference is required. Diversity comes in many forms: thought and speech; dress and physical appearance; language; religion; values, attitudes, and lifestyles. Diversity can be old or new and may reflect differences in class, ethnicity, age, gender, sexuality, or geography.
When tensions based on differences arise, some leaders often call for “greater tolerance” of groups or ideas and promote the notion of “a more tolerant society.” For example, speaking out against racism, then Secretary-General of the United Nations Kofi Annan said, “Tolerance, inter-cultural dialogue and respect for diversity are more essential than ever in a world where peoples are becoming more and more closely interconnected.” Indeed, tolerance is often invoked as something to which individuals and societies should aspire. According to former Director-General of UNESCO Audrey Azoulay, “Tolerance is an act of humanity, which we must nurture and enact each in our own lives every day, to rejoice in the diversity that makes us strong and the values that bring us together.”
Yet what does this mean in practice? Even if we all agree that some degree of tolerance is necessary for democracy, it is not clear whether societies should always strive for more. Deeply troubled by the Nazi and Fascist movements of World War II, philosopher of science Karl Popper cautioned against unlimited tolerance, because, paradoxically, it may lead to the disappearance of tolerance itself: “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…We should therefore claim, in the name of tolerance, the right not to tolerate the intolerant.”
