Tolerance

[OwenKellogg]

What is tolerance? why is it that we aspire to nullify our opinions when our opinions are all we have? After all tolerance only morphs itself into the hatred of intolerance. At which point everyone is pressured into tolerance through intolerance. Therefore a feigned tolerance reigns over the general populace in fear of being alienated as a traitor.

Opinions seperate us from animals. They have no opinions and and cannot follow a logical path. So why attempt to nullify our opinions which in effect gives animals an equal reverance to humans? Because opinions make us individuals, admission of equal correctness of all opinions creates a uniform society in which if you have an opinion and therefore are an individual then you are not tolerated yourself. That is a communist state.

I dont advocate fighting over every small difference in opinion, but i protest the notion that it is somehow wrong to hold an opinion on another's life style.

For those who say "who are you to judge?" i am a human being, of body and mind capable of logical thought. That alone permits me to judge.

Note: This was not directed towards homosexuality.

[Olex]

For someone who talks about holding on to one's opinion, you seem to be very nervous about somebody else taking your words incorrectly.

I take that from you making so many remarks (in such a short post) that you are not talking about this and you are not addressing this. Are you afraid of someone else who will take your words, don't think about them, and apply them incorrectly? Maybe, b/c you don't want to hear someone tell you: "Are you against homosexuality? How dare you?"

If you do value your opinion, how come you value an opinion of someone who doesn't think but instead seeks to find any "reason" to attack somebody on a controversial issue? Wouldn't that be a waste of time for you taking away effort from your own opinions?

P.S. I understand that in America, it's as bad as being called racist/prejudicist (even without reason) as it was in USSR being called unsupportive of communistics goals and values. (Both will put a lot of pressure on you, even if only socially)

[DavidOdden]

why is it that we aspire to nullify our opinions when our opinions are all we have?

Uh, maybe it's an old guy thing, but I have more than just opinions. Were you being hyperbolic?

After all tolerance only morphs itself into the hatred of intolerance.

I think that is not all: it also results in the death of moral standards and ultimately cultural suicide.

Opinions seperate us from animals.

Rationality separates man from animals. Opinion is not the same a rationality.

So why attempt to nullify our opinions which in effect gives animals an equal reverance to humans?

Your opinion is duly noted, and ignored. One reason why I ignore opinions is that they are cognitively only slightly better than the savage gruntings of animals. However, I do pay attention to reason.

Because opinions make us individuals, admission of equal correctness of all opinions creates a uniform society in which if you have an opinion and therefore are an individual then you are not tolerated yourself.

Nah. With or without an opinion, I am still an individual. You don't really want to argue that my existence qua man is defined by having an opinion, do you? That would mean that babies are soup. Which, I suppose, is not far from the truth, but still, it isn't the truth. Being an individual isn't a social reward created by having an opinion: being an individual is a fact of existence.

For those who say "who are you to judge?" i am a human being, of body and mind capable of logical thought. That alone permits me to judge.

Anyhow, the point is that moral evaluation is a kind of identification, so just as you are capable as an intelligent being of grasping the concept "plant" and seeing some entity which you correctly identify as a specific instance of the concept "plant", you can grasp the concept evil and correctly identify an action as evil, and you can identify an action as being good. Saying "who are you to judge" is tantamount to saying "who are you to declare that that is a plant". Screw opinions, but long live identifications.

[DragonMaci]

What is tolerance? why is it that we aspire to nullify our opinions when our opinions are all we have? After all tolerance only morphs itself into the hatred of intolerance. At which point everyone is pressured into tolerance through intolerance. Therefore a feigned tolerance reigns over the general populace in fear of being alienated as a traitor.

Opinions seperate us from animals. They have no opinions and and cannot follow a logical path. So why attempt to nullify our opinions which in effect gives animals an equal reverance to humans? Because opinions make us individuals, admission of equal correctness of all opinions creates a uniform society in which if you have an opinion and therefore are an individual then you are not tolerated yourself. That is a communist state.

I dont advocate fighting over every small difference in opinion, but i protest the notion that it is somehow wrong to hold an opinion on another's life style.

For those who say "who are you to judge?" i am a human being, of body and mind capable of logical thought. That alone permits me to judge.

Note: This was not directed towards homosexuality.

Nice comments there, Owen. I had to read an essay that said as much for one of my tutorials at university. It is something that I agree with it.

Edited August 26, 2006 by DragonMaci

[DragonMaci]

I think that is not all: it also results in the death of moral standards and ultimately cultural suicide.

I agree, David.

Rationality separates man from animals. Opinion is not the same a rationality.

Indeed. Opinion springs from rationality. It sprinds from the seperator. It is not the seperator itself.

Anyway, I think Owen's ideas need to be expanded upon and explained better. As it is there are those that can too easily pick at them. The collectivists mainly. But as David's post points out, even Objectivists can easily do so.

Edited August 26, 2006 by DragonMaci