Paradox of Tolerance

This cluster centers on Karl Popper's Paradox of Tolerance, with commenters debating whether a tolerant society must be intolerant of intolerance to preserve itself, often linking to Wikipedia and applying it to social, political, and online moderation contexts.

📉 Falling 0.3x Politics & Society
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AFAIK e.g OP IMO GP ISIS en.m slatestarcodex.com ycombinator.com wikipedia.org intolerant intolerance tolerance tolerant paradox society tolerate seized destroyed maintain

Sample Comments

matsemann Feb 17, 2022 View on HN

Basically the Paradox of tolerance:The paradox of tolerance states that if a society is tolerant without limit, its ability to be tolerant is eventually seized or destroyed by the intolerant. Karl Popper described it as the seemingly paradoxical idea that in order to maintain a tolerant society, the society must retain the right to be intolerant of intolerance. [0][0]: https://e

latexr Sep 23, 2024 View on HN

As per the Paradox of Tolerance:> (…) if a society's practice of tolerance is inclusive of the intolerant, intolerance will ultimately dominate, eliminating the tolerant and the practice of tolerance with them. Karl Popper describes the paradox as arising from the fact that, in order to maintain a tolerant society, the society must retain the right to be intolerant of intolerance.https:&

simondotau Jun 13, 2021 View on HN

You are alluding to the Paradox of Tolerance.https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paradox_of_tolerance

tfandango Nov 12, 2024 View on HN

This is called the Paradox of Tolerance: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paradox_of_toleranceEssentially you should be tolerant of others, unless they themselves are intolerant.

sgnelson Oct 14, 2025 View on HN

see: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paradox_of_tolerance

guerrilla Sep 22, 2019 View on HN

Obviously not intolerant enough.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paradox_of_tolerance

kiratp Aug 30, 2022 View on HN

The good ol’ Paradox of Tolerance: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paradox_of_tolerance

edgyquant Jun 27, 2022 View on HN

This is a misunderstanding of the paradox of tolerance https://news.ycombinator.com/reply?id=31889018

r00fus Jun 1, 2019 View on HN

I’d say the opposite. Intolerance should not be tolerated.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paradox_of_tolerance

Cthulhu_ Jul 22, 2021 View on HN

It's the paradox of tolerance in action. Tolerate intolerant ideals and there will be a sudden jerk to intolerance.