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by murrayh 1929 days ago
This is the paradox of tolerance. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paradox_of_tolerance

Each of Chicago Review's two choices (to publish, or not to publish) will generate disapproval.

My personal view is that deplatforming intolerance is ok -- that the Chicago Review are right to deplatform intolerance.

Was Kunin's article intolerant and who decides? I have no idea, an uninformed opinion at best.

2 comments

"I do not imply 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 unwise. We should claim the right to suppress them if ... they are not prepared to meet us on the level of rational argument, but begin by denouncing all argument." - Karl Popper.

People advocating "deplatforming intolerance", a.k.a. applying censorship, should ponder this quote.

I’d be willing to bet that those who cite the paradox as support for censorship have only ever read the stupid meme cartoon about it that gets passed around on Facebook and Twitter, they always seem surprised into silence when someone posts quotes back from the actual text that show their argument is as strong as their research.
Of course it isn’t; it’s the exact opposite.