On Tolerance and Acceptance of the Other
Author(s): Nicu GavrilutaKeywords: tolerance, alterity, mentalities, dictatorship of the minority, Eliade, Afloroaei, Eco, Girard
Journal: Journal for the Study of Religions and Ideologies
Year: 2002
Full text: http://www.jsri.ro/old/html%20version/index/no_3/nicu_gavriluta-articol.htm
Publisher: Seminar for the Interdisciplinary Research of Reli
Abstract: In this text, the problem of tolerance is discussed in the light of recent works of Umberto Eco and Stefan Afloroaei. The author argues that in the case of tolerance, the success lies not in tolerating the other, (not even in the weaker sense of the word), but rather in accepting him. The acceptance of the Other is the complete and powerful meaning of tolerance. Acceptance ends where the very presence of the concept of tolerance is undermined and compromised by its history of colonialism and exploitation. Therefore, the primary solution to understand and apply tolerance is the recognition of alterity, in an inner and outer meaning alike.