You can have an opinion and trying to understand material reasons why people have other opinions is valuable. However, this obviously only goes so far. Should Nazism be treated as an equal legitimate political ideology worthy of respect?
Everyone is entitled to an opinion. If a Nazi wants to think and articulate nazi things, it’s on us as a society to argue against it, not to forbid thoughts.
Here’s a interesting article of the culture of denouncing during Nazi and GDR times:
And about the concept of freedom of thought:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_of_thought
You might recognize that especially repressive regimes resorted to curtail freedom of thoughts in the past.
It’s a paradox because if you suppress other opinions you yourself become intolerant.
I agree that actions have to be regulated as they are by laws. But opinions and thoughts are free and this freedom is absolute.
Even Popper acknowledged that it’s a paradox and stated:
I do not imply, for instance, that we should always suppress the utterance of intolerant philosophies; as long as we can counter them by rational argument and keep them in check by public opinion, suppression would certainly be most unwise.
These thought are also formalizef by Rawls:
Rawls asserts that a society must tolerate the intolerant in order to be a just society, but qualifies this assertion by stating that exceptional circumstances may call for society to exercise its right to self-preservation against acts of intolerance that threaten the liberty and security of the tolerant.
The dedicated reader might notice that he refers to acts of intolerance but not to opinions.
Popper, Karl (2012) [1945]. The Open Society and Its Enemies. Routledge. p. 581
Rawls, John (1971). A Theory of Justice. Harvard University Press. p. 220
Don’t denounce. Everyone is entitled to have an opinion.
You can have an opinion and trying to understand material reasons why people have other opinions is valuable. However, this obviously only goes so far. Should Nazism be treated as an equal legitimate political ideology worthy of respect?
Everyone is entitled to an opinion. If a Nazi wants to think and articulate nazi things, it’s on us as a society to argue against it, not to forbid thoughts. Here’s a interesting article of the culture of denouncing during Nazi and GDR times:
https://www.fff.org/explore-freedom/article/creating-a-culture-of-denunciation/
And about the concept of freedom of thought: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_of_thought You might recognize that especially repressive regimes resorted to curtail freedom of thoughts in the past.
Counterpoint: I think we should totally forbid nazis
Question, Gulag, Gallows, Guillotine or The wall?
Here’s a cartoon of a liberal philosopher for ya.
This is referring to the paradox of tolerance.
It’s a paradox because if you suppress other opinions you yourself become intolerant.
I agree that actions have to be regulated as they are by laws. But opinions and thoughts are free and this freedom is absolute.
Even Popper acknowledged that it’s a paradox and stated: I do not imply, for instance, that we should always suppress the utterance of intolerant philosophies; as long as we can counter them by rational argument and keep them in check by public opinion, suppression would certainly be most unwise.
These thought are also formalizef by Rawls: Rawls asserts that a society must tolerate the intolerant in order to be a just society, but qualifies this assertion by stating that exceptional circumstances may call for society to exercise its right to self-preservation against acts of intolerance that threaten the liberty and security of the tolerant.
The dedicated reader might notice that he refers to acts of intolerance but not to opinions.
Popper, Karl (2012) [1945]. The Open Society and Its Enemies. Routledge. p. 581
Rawls, John (1971). A Theory of Justice. Harvard University Press. p. 220
I don’t think it’s intolerant to suppress Nazis.
I mean, what would Orwell do?
I mean, if she’s shown her ass around here publicly, you don’t need to tip 'er off to others that she’s a special kind of person… just take notes…