The problem here is that tolerance, in itself, is not a principle. “Tolerance” and “intolerance” only take on moral meaning when you add on the “of ____.” If the blank is, say, “people who look different than you,” then tolerance sounds great. If instead the blank is, “a religious practice that involves sacrificing children,” then intolerance suddenly sounds a lot better. When you leave the “of ___” unspecified, Popper’s Paradox is inevitably twisted by political or religious groups into some version of: In order to maintain a tolerant society, the society must be intolerant of [people, ideas,
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