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A number of memes were made based on Popper's concept of the Paradox of Tolerance.

#Paradox #KarlPopper #Meme
A comic based on Karl Popper's "Paradox of Tolerance"

First frame:
Text: "Should a tolerant society tolerate intolerance?"
Image of a Nazi saying, "You want more tolerance? Respect my ideas."
Text: "The answer is NO."

Between frame text:
"It's a paradox, but unlimited tolerance can lead to the extinction of tolerance."

Second frame:
Text: "When we extend tolerance to those who are openly intolerant..."
Image of a politician standing next to Adolf Hitler saying, "Let's give them a chance!"
Text: "... The tolerant ones end up being destroyed. And tolerance with them."
Image of Hitler in front of crowd giving Nazi salute.

Third frame:
Text: "Any movement that preaches intolerance and persecution must be outside of the law."
Image of giant foot kicking Adolf Hitler out.
Text: "As Paradoxical as it may seem, defending tolerance..."
Image of Karl Popper lecturing.
Text: "...requires to NOT tolerate the intolerant."

Bottom of image:
*Source: The Open Society and its Enemies, Karl R. Popper


The philosopher Karl Popper published what came to be known as the Paradox of Tolerance in his book "The Open Society and Its Enemies" in 1945.

It dealt with the question of how a society that promotes tolerance is to deal with those who are intolerant.

#Paradox #philosophy
Meme titled The Paradox of Tolerance with text on the left and an image of the book "The Open Society and its Enemies" on the right.

The text reads:
Less well known [than other paradoxes] is the paradox of tolerance: Unlimited tolerance must lead to the disappearance of tolerance. If we extend unlimited tolerance even to those who are intolerant, if we are not prepared to defend a tolerant society against the onslaught of the intolerant, then the tolerant will be destroyed, and tolerance with them.

—In this formulation, I do not imply, for instance, that we should always suppress the utterance of intolerant philosophies; as long as we can counter them by rational argument and keep them in check by public opinion, suppression would certainly be most unwise. But we should claim the right to suppress them if necessary even by force; for it may easily turn out that they are not prepared to meet us on the level of rational argument, but begin by denouncing all argument; they may forbid their followers to listen to rational argument, because it is deceptive, and teach them to answer arguments by the use of their fists or pistols. 

We should therefore claim, in the name of tolerance, the right not to tolerate the intolerant.

~Excerpt from philosopher Karl Popper's The Open Society and Its Enemies, published 1945