Understanding the Paradox of Tolerance

English: Karl Popper in 1990. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Welcome to the Paradox of Tolerance. Current riots, political correctness and Islam's sharia law are examples bringing Americans face-to-face with the unusual moral dilemma of tolerance. 


Philosopher Karl Popper defined the paradox in 1945 in The Open Society and Its Enemies: "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."

2014 may be remembered as the year of intolerant liberalism, also dubbed the new intolerance, dogmatic liberalism and illiberal liberalism.


Back in 2014, The Christian Post explained it best in "33 Examples of Intolerant Liberalism."

We must never tolerate intolerance.