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 women in many societies even though I am not ready to use force to change that practice.  On the contrary, when I criticize the practice I say it is intolerable.  I don’t use force because doing so has prohibitive costs, not because I somehow feel the practice is not so bad after all and deserves toleration.

2) So I suggest the green button test. Suppose I have a wondrous button that can make people change their wrong ideas or practices. If I am prepared to press the button to change other people’s idea or practice, then that means I don’t tolerate that idea or practice. If I am not prepared to press the button –for example, because my consideration for other people’s exercise of autonomy is stronger than my disapproval of what they say or do, or because I value coexistence with them more than I abhor what they say or do— then I tolerate the idea or practice.