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.
Karl Popper, The Open Society and Its Enemies, 1945
We have been trying to reason with the bigots for a long time, but it has become clear that their polemic doesn’t respect reason. What shall we do, then? Throw up our hands, let them erode our values and sacrifice our values on the altar of rigid principles? Die with pride “At least, we never resorted to censorship”? What good is our loyalty to that rule to the victims of that new, intolerant order?
The enemies of freedom have no qualms about using censorship and violence to silence the opposition. It is only right that we should meet them on their terms, if they will not meet us on ours.
Karl Popper, The Open Society and Its Enemies, 1945
We have been trying to reason with the bigots for a long time, but it has become clear that their polemic doesn’t respect reason. What shall we do, then? Throw up our hands, let them erode our values and sacrifice our values on the altar of rigid principles? Die with pride “At least, we never resorted to censorship”? What good is our loyalty to that rule to the victims of that new, intolerant order?
The enemies of freedom have no qualms about using censorship and violence to silence the opposition. It is only right that we should meet them on their terms, if they will not meet us on ours.