Currently viewing the category: "Toleration"

Victory Through Lexicography?

By On May 9, 2012 · 105 Comments · In Current Events, Toleration

Critics of same-sex marriage often argue that its defenders are guilty of seeking to “redefine” marriage.

It is true that the term “marriage” has traditionally been applied, for the most part, to heterosexual unions specifically (though often polygamous ones, a fact such critics persistently pretend to overlook). But it is also true that the term [...]

Continue Reading →

A Paradox and 2 Sorts of Liberalism

By On March 26, 2012 · 21 Comments · In Academic Philosophy, Liberalism, Libertarianism, Liberty, Toleration

In Kevin’s recent post, responding to Jessica’s prior post, Kevin discusses what he calls “the paradox of toleration.”  There are actually multiple paradoxes of toleration.  Arguably, the most important of these is what we call “the paradox of liberalism” (remember we are using “liberal” with its classic meaning, not [...]

Continue Reading →

Moral Fanaticism and the Hope of Public Reason: A Reply to Flanigan

By On March 23, 2012 · 73 Comments · In Liberalism, Libertarianism, Liberty, Toleration

My friend and co-blogger, Jessica Flanigan, threw down the gauntlet last week over the truth of public reason liberalism, the popular version of liberal political theory that I used to argue against the contraception mandate. This is my reply.

Public reason liberalism (PRL) holds that a coercive law L is justified [...]

Continue Reading →

Hating the State and Loving Liberty

By On March 23, 2012 · 20 Comments · In Libertarianism, Liberty, Toleration

What follows was my weekly column at the Freeman this week and I reprint it here as the subject matter might be of interest to BHL types. Enjoy!

 

Libertarians have a number of public relations problems. Some are the result of people not understanding our ideas. Others, however, are our own fault: [...]

Continue Reading →

A Defense of the Unreasonable

By On March 16, 2012 · 51 Comments · In Academic Philosophy, Democracy, Liberalism, Toleration

I really enjoyed Kevin’s recent discussion of the ‘contraception mandate,’ particularly because his posts highlight a deep and important divide in political philosophy that I think merits attention. Kevin sketches the following view about whether a law is justified:

“(The) principle of public justification (PPJ) …holds that a coercive law L is only justified [...]

Continue Reading →

A Possible BHL position on Humanitarian Aid

By On September 5, 2011 · 38 Comments · In Academic Philosophy, Left-libertarianism, Liberalism, Libertarianism, Social Justice, Toleration

Assume there is a moral principle indicating that states (or citizens therein) that have adequate (or better) resources have an obligation to aid those in states that have inadequate resources. Such a principle has been defended, of course (see, for example, Charles Beitz’ 1979, esp. 136-143). Importantly, even if such a [...]

Continue Reading →

The Green Button Test

By On August 13, 2011 · 36 Comments · In Academic Philosophy, Libertarianism, Toleration

This is a brief reaction to Andrew’s post and comments.

1) Toleration is a funny concept.  We tolerate an idea or practice we disapprove of.  One possibility is to say that to tolerate X is to refuse to use force to change X.  But this, I think, is incorrect. I don’t tolerate the subjection of [...]

Continue Reading →

Judging, Toleration, and Libertarianism

By On August 11, 2011 · 40 Comments · In Libertarianism, Toleration

It’s interesting discussing toleration. The ideas that people have about it are many and varied. One that comes up especially often, couched in a variety of terms, goes something like this: “toleration is a sort of wishy-washy multi-culturalist policy, but its basically a good thing because people should not judge others.”

There are 2 problems [...]

Continue Reading →

Judging States

By On June 8, 2011 · 76 Comments · In Left-libertarianism, Liberalism, Libertarianism, Liberty, Social Justice, Toleration

One way to define liberalism, as I have previously indicated here is by reference to the normative principles of toleration it is committed to (as I suggested in that previous post).  I think that such a definition also allows a clear way to judge states.  Let me spell out what I mean.

I [...]

Continue Reading →

Objectivity

By On April 13, 2011 · 21 Comments · In Toleration

I've noticed, in a few comments on different posts, that some readers are attracted to views that reject the existence of objectivity.  Roughly speaking, something is objectively true if its truth does not depend on any particular person as knower or any particular group as knowers.  Put differently, if proposition P is objectively true, it [...]

Continue Reading →
Set your Twitter account name in your settings to use the TwitterBar Section.