This article aims to provide a critical map of toleration as it is displayed in contemporary democracy. It does so by presenting three conceptions of toleration to which current practices of toleration can be traced, and, precisely, these are the standard notion, the political conception based on the neutrality principle, and toleration as recognition. The author argues that the latter is the appropriate conception to address the politically relevant issues of toleration arising in pluralistic democracy, while the first is adequate (...) only for social relations. In order to illustrate this argument, she presents a case of a contested and never solved request for a place of worship by the Muslims of Vercelli which represents an example of a very restricted and minimal interpretation of the standard notion, labeled ‘disrespectful tolerance’. The case is meant to show that unacceptable forms of toleration are still practised, and that the standard notion, here interpreted in the most minimal and negative way, is inappropriate for democratic politics. (shrink)

Me propongo analizar críticamente la idea de abstinencia epistémica desarrollada por un importante grupo de teóricos liberales a partir de los años ochenta del siglo pasado. Para los propósitos del liberalismo político la propuesta de la abstinencia epistémica desempeña un papel crucial. Consiste en garantizar el consenso en torno a las reglas procesales y principios públicos de justicia, exigiendo que la pluralidad de intereses y concepciones sustantivas que coexisten en la sociedad se abstengan de realizar atribuciones de verdad sobre sus (...) propias concepciones morales cuando éstas son debatidas en la esfera pública. Mi argumento es que esta estrategia fracasa toda vez que la abstinencia epistémica no resiste la aplicación de sus propias cláusulas a sí misma. (shrink)

This introduction considers recent work in toleration; the nature and definition of toleration; and the relationship between toleration and broader questions of political philosophy.