There can be different and unique applications of certain words, toleration is one of them. Toleration is used under different contexts and pretenses. As such, our community, state, country, church etc.. tolerates all kinds of behavior that they decide to be deviant. For example; the Church tolerates homosexuality, parents tolerate their children's behavior, the state tolerates the minority. It is very important for people to be tolerant of others so that we don’t descend into mindless persecution and accusation of others without probable and just cause.
In Voltaire's essay on toleration he examines religion, or the toleration of those who are most deeply versed in religion and succumb to all aspects of literal interpretation and superstition. That is, those who use those depicted in religious texts so that they may tighten their hold of power over their subjects. The superstition that drives people to believe in ridiculous things such as there being monsters within natural disasters and heroes who smite beasts being some sort of special human favored by God. But that is not the case, people would associate heroic deeds and genius with this fear. As Voltaire states: “The superstitious man puts poison in the most wholesome food; he is an enemy to himself and others. He believes himself the object of eternal vengeance if he eats meat on a certain day; he believes that a long, grey robe, With a pointed hood and long beard, is much more agreeable to God than a shaven face and a head that retains its hair…”. We are our own worst enemy which superstition is the fuel of condemnation of all rationality that we posses. Knowing not what is known can be a cause of superstition if we cause it to be that way.
(Voltaire didn't say this but it was wrongly credited to him)
We should not let the concept of fidelity, loyalty, religion and the like fuel the fight against ourselves. Hereby practicing toleration is the first step towards a society that doesn’t settle its problems through fighting but through other means. It is in my opinion that we won’t progress in thought without practicing toleration. Through tolerating other people's actions we may be keen to think more about the motivations and causes that affect the outcome of those peoples actions. There cannot be respect without toleration in the majority of cases. That is why Voltaire's letters of toleration are so important even today in the midst of continuous racial and religious violence that plagues our world we must be tolerant of these actions and act rationally so that we might not condemn a whole race or religious group to damnation. That is the reaction of those who do not think for themselves or those who are afraid of something being taken away from them. Practicing tolerance and respect towards others like they are your equals is something that Voltaire was a true believer in, and is an idea that is still hard for certain groups of people to comprehend. I don’t believe that we will be able to fix the past, but we can prevent history from repeating itself if we remember the past and practice toleration of other people's beliefs and mannerisms if that will prevent fighting amongst ourselves.
I think you’re right in saying that toleration is a first step towards a more peaceful society. By today’s standards, toleration isn’t the extent of human equality, as we have seen many of examples of people going beyond toleration to respect of those who are different. So it is natural to read a blog post or attend a demonstration that requests respect of minorities by society, not simply toleration. Because we have had high points in the fight for equality in the last century, that’s the standard to which we hold ourselves. For Voltaire’s time, toleration might have been the best of which society was capable. But it’s important to remember that the meaning of toleration was probably a bit different then too. Words have a tendency to change meaning depending on the structure of society at the time. Voltaire witnessed much more institutionally inequality than we do today. It was more common and acceptable for people to believe people of another race or religion to be inferior. The monarchy, the church, and trading companies promoted these beliefs to the population to retain their power and influence. So although Voltaire fighting for toleration and not respect might seem a little half-assed to us, his was the difficult job of breaking down the ideals behind entire institutions that ran the country and much of the world.
ReplyDelete