Intolerance
Unlimited tolerance must lead to the disappearance of
tolerance. 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.—In this formulation, I do not imply, for
instance, that we should always suppress the utterance of intolerant
philosophies; as long as we can counter them by rational argument and
keep them in check by public opinion, suppression would certainly be
most unwise. But we should claim the right to suppress them if necessary
even by force; for it may easily turn out that they are not prepared to
meet us on the level of rational argument, but begin by denouncing all
argument; they may forbid their followers to listen to rational
argument, because it is deceptive, and teach them to answer arguments by
the use of their fists or pistols. We should therefore claim, in the
name of tolerance, the right not to tolerate the intolerant. We should
claim that any movement preaching intolerance places itself outside the
law and we should consider incitement to intolerance and persecution as
criminal, in the same way as we should consider incitement to murder, or
to kidnapping, or to the revival of the slave trade, as criminal.
-Karl Popper
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