Political Liberties and Political Tolerance (Concepts and Research) Cover Image

Političke slobode i politička tolerancija (pojam i istraživanja)
Political Liberties and Political Tolerance (Concepts and Research)

Author(s): Vladimir Vujčić
Subject(s): Political Theory, Politics and society
Published by: Fakultet političkih znanosti u Zagrebu
Keywords: politics; political liberties; political tolerance; political theory;

Summary/Abstract: Two stages in the conceptualization and the research regarding political tolerance are dealt with in this paper. The first consists of the studies of Stouffer (1955), Prothro and Grigg, as well as others, while those of J. Sullivan (1979) and his collaborators can be considered to represent the second stage of the conceptualization and research into the very complex phenomenon of political tolerance. In relation to earlier research Sullivan and his collaborators have established a ”contentual control” of tolerance by precisely distinguishing the political attitude towards generally unpopular groups in society from tolerance itself or from the readiness to put up with those groups and their ideas with which individuals otherwise do not agree. We believe however that this does not sufficiently define political tolerance. We therefore define tolerance as the readiness to put up with certain groups with which individuals do not otherwise agree - in correspondence with the ensemble of universal political liberties (i.e. the general norms of democracy) - but only up to certain limits. Tolerance can reach certain limits because political liberties are not absolute values but are restricted by other relevant values of society. This complicates also the methodology of the study of this very complex phenomenon.

  • Issue Year: XXX/1993
  • Issue No: 03
  • Page Range: 36-54
  • Page Count: 19
  • Language: Croatian