Toleration

Toleration represents the solution to disagreement whenever contrasting views and actions can coexist peacefully within the same society. While the social value of toleration for the promotion of a peaceful, free, and diverse society is widely acknowledged, many authors question that toleration is a sufficient response to the issues arising from contemporary pluralism. This has led to a wide discussion on the concept, on the justification, on the application, and to the provision of different conceptions of toleration. The first section of this chapter will briefly rehearse the history of doctrine of toleration; the second section will take up first the analysis of the concept, then will consider the reasons for toleration, and lastly will examine some related concepts such as intolerance and intolerable. The third section will deal with the three most common conceptions of toleration, namely, the social virtue, liberal toleration, and toleration as recognition. Finally, the fourth section will focus on the application of the different conceptions and will show that toleration as recognition best addresses the cases arising from cultural conflicts.