Resolving the Paradox of Tolerance
A Rationalist’s Guide
Karl Popper famously exposed a paradox at the heart of liberal tolerance:
"Unlimited tolerance must lead to the disappearance of tolerance. If we extend unlimited tolerance even to those who are intolerant, then the tolerant will be destroyed, and tolerance with them."
A rationalist, clear-eyed resolution emerges from the careful distinctions of Conditionalism and the principles of human flourishing:
The Central Principle
Tolerance, rightly understood, is never absolute but conditional. The boundaries of tolerance are set precisely by the conditions necessary to sustain voluntary cooperation and minimize coercion. Thus:
We must tolerate all speech that is non-coercive, irrespective of whether it offends, irritates, or challenges cherished beliefs.
We must never tolerate coercive harm, precisely defined as credible threats or actions that objectively diminish others' agency.
The Rational Justification
Coercion, by definition, erodes human flourishing by constricting individuals’ autonomy and meaningful choice.
Open discourse, no matter how uncomfortable, maintains intellectual and cultural vibrancy, fostering conditions under which human societies flourish.
Examining the Hard Cases
1. Explicit Incitement to Violence
Example: Someone urging immediate, violent attacks against a particular group.
Rational Analysis: Though indirect, the speech significantly elevates the probability of violence, directly threatening the victims' agency and well-being.
Conclusion: Intolerable. Clear incitement crosses the line into coercion because it seeks explicitly violent outcomes.
2. Strong Criticism of Ideologies (Islam, Communism)
Example: Harsh denunciations or critiques of religious or political doctrines.
Rational Analysis: Mere psychological offense or insult, however profound, does not translate into tangible, coercive harm.
Conclusion: Fully tolerable. Offense is insufficient grounds for silencing speech. Critique—no matter how brutal—is foundational to a free society.
3. Persistent Defamation and Misinformation
Example: Persistent dissemination of demonstrably false and harmful accusations.
Rational Analysis: Harm here can be real but often indirect. Reputation damage alone does not constitute coercion unless it leads to measurable, substantial reductions in personal agency (e.g., credible threats, loss of employment through intimidation).
Conclusion: Generally tolerable, with context-dependent exceptions. Intolerable if clearly and causally linked to significant coercive outcomes.
4. Doxxing: The Most Difficult Case
Example: Releasing private, personal information (e.g., home addresses) publicly.
Rational Analysis: Though devoid of explicit threats, the act strongly increases the probability of third-party coercion and violence, creating measurable harm through intimidation and potential violence.
Conclusion: Intolerable. The predictable and objectively harmful consequences make doxxing clearly coercive, despite its indirect nature.
Final Rational Criterion
The paradox dissolves elegantly under a conditional framework:
Tolerance extends fully to any speech unless it explicitly or predictably provokes coercion.
Intolerance applies decisively to speech or actions causally linked to coercive harm.
In practice, this nuanced boundary is necessary, logically robust, and consistent with the demands of reason and the pursuit of human flourishing.