'Fiala's Tolerance and the Ethical Life is a profound study of the sources and consequences of the effort to get along with others in peace. His view that philosophy and toleration are particularly closely related is novel and important; connecting forbearance with tragically diverse communities stresses a much-neglected aspect of the subject. Written in accessible language but displaying a mastery of the history of thought, this book makes a permanent contribution to our understanding of why we must learn to live together and how difficult that is' John Lachs, Vanderbilt University In a fresh and exciting way, this book shows how tolerance connects with the practice of philosophy. Andrew Fiala examines the virtue of tolerance as it appears in several historical contexts: Socratic philosophy, Stoic philosophy, Pragmatism and Existentialism. The lesson derived is that tolerance is a virtue for what Fiala calls 'tragic communities'. Such communities are developed when we come together across our differences, but they lack the robust sense of connection that we often seek with others - the complete sort of happiness that is offered by a more Utopian ideal of community. But rather than viewing this conclusion as a failure, Fiala maintains that tragic communities are the best communities possible for human beings who are aware of their own individuality and finitude. Indeed, they are typical of the sorts of communities created by philosophers engaged in dialogue with others.
Author(s): Andrew G. Fiala
Year: 2005
Language: English
Pages: 208
0826478441......Page 1
Contents......Page 6
Acknowledgements......Page 8
1 Philosophy and the Virtue of Tolerance......Page 10
The Socratic model......Page 13
Philosophy and scepticism......Page 21
2 Critical Moral Tolerance......Page 27
The complexity and difficulty of toleration......Page 29
Apathy and relativism......Page 35
Pluralism and relativism......Page 39
Pluralism and critical toleration......Page 42
3 Tolerance, Modesty and the Limits of the Moral Imagination......Page 48
The promise of the imagination: David Norton and Martin Buber......Page 51
The failure of the imagination......Page 54
Tolerance and condemnation: suicide and sati......Page 56
Tolerance and action......Page 60
Tolerance and ignorance......Page 62
Conclusion: tolerance and education......Page 64
4 Stoic Tolerance......Page 68
Stoicism: preliminary consideration......Page 70
Epictetus......Page 73
Marcus Aurelius......Page 77
Stoic tolerance......Page 81
Conclusion......Page 85
5 Modern Philosophy and Inward Sincerity: Religion, Existentialism and Pragmatism......Page 91
Descartes, Spinoza and Rousseau......Page 93
Self-knowledge and the mystery of the person......Page 96
Emerson and James......Page 98
Royce......Page 101
Marcel......Page 105
Conclusion......Page 107
6 Existentialism and Repressive Toleration......Page 113
Transcendence and truth......Page 121
Toleration, risk and action......Page 126
Conclusion: dogmatism, silence and toleration......Page 130
7 Liberal Toleration......Page 135
Locke’s epistemological liberalism......Page 138
Mill and the moral affirmation of diversity......Page 144
Toleration, multiculturalism and the open forum of ideas......Page 148
Conclusion......Page 150
The fact of diversity......Page 155
Pluralism and relativism: Rawls and Walzer......Page 158
Rawls, Rorty and pragmatism......Page 163
The pragmatic pluralism of John Lachs......Page 165
Conclusion......Page 169
9 Conclusion: Socrates Beyond Liberalism......Page 175
The problem of politics......Page 177
Pluralistic convergence and fanaticism......Page 182
Conclusion: beyond the cave......Page 186
Bibliography......Page 190
F......Page 200
N......Page 201
S......Page 202
Z......Page 203
