Is tolerance the root of democracy’s Demise?
Karl Popper, a famous Austrian philosopher of science from the 20th century put forth the thesis that too much tolerance is a bad thing.
Is it?
Watch the Vice Media coverage of the Charlottesville Neo-Nazi gathering/protest below and assess your position on tolerance and censorship:
https://news.vice.com/story/vice-news-tonight-full-episode-charlottesville-race-and-terror
Questions to Consider:
- What arguments exist that the group should the group NOT be tolerated? I.e not allowed to protest and spread their ideas?
- What arguments can you come up with that the group should be tolerated and allowed to protest and spread their ideas?
- What dangers exist in letting the group speak? What dangers exist in preventing them from speaking?
- How would this issue be viewed from a utilitarian perspective? How would the issue be viewed from a Kantian perspective?