The Limits of Tolerance: Enlightenment Values and Religious Fanaticism (Religion, Culture, and Public Life Book 4)

The modern notion of tolerance--the welcoming of diversity as a force for the common good--emerged in the Age of Enlightenment in the wake of centuries of religious wars. First elaborated by philosophers such as John Locke and Voltaire, religious tolerance gradually gained ground in Europe and North America. But with the resurgence of fanaticism and terrorism, religious tolerance is increasingly being challenged by frightened publics.In this book, Denis Lacorne traces the emergence of the modern notion of religious tolerance in order to rethink how we should respond to its contemporary tensions. In a wide-ranging argument that spans the Ottoman Empire, the Venetian republic, and recent controversies such as France's burqa ban and the white-supremacist rally in Charlottesville,__The Limits of Tolerance__probes crucial questions: Should we impose limits on freedom of expression in the name of human dignity or decency? Should we accept religious symbols in the public square? Can we tolerate the intolerant? While acknowledging that tolerance can never be entirely without limits, Lacorne defends the Enlightenment concept against recent attempts to circumscribe it, arguing that without it a pluralistic society cannot survive. The winner of the prestigious Prix Montyon de l'Acad�mie Fran�aise,__The Limits of Tolerance__is a powerful reflection on twenty-first-century democracy's most fundamental challenges. The modern notion of tolerance--the welcoming of diversity as a force for the common good--emerged in the Enlightenment in the wake of centuries of religious wars. First elaborated by philosophers such as John Locke and Voltaire, religious tolerance gradually gained ground in Europe and North America. But with the resurgence of fanaticism and terrorism, religious tolerance is increasingly being challenged by frightened publics. In this book, Denis Lacorne traces the emergence of the modern notion of religious tolerance in order to rethink how we should respond to its contemporary tensions. In a wide-ranging argument that spans the Ottoman Empire, the Venetian republic, and recent controversies such as France's burqa ban and the white-supremacist rally in Charlottesville, The Limits of Tolerance probes crucial questions: Should we impose limits on freedom of expression in the name of human dignity or decency? Should we accept religious symbols in the public square? Can we tolerate the intolerant? While acknowledging that tolerance can never be entirely without limits, Lacorne defends the Enlightenment concept against recent attempts to circumscribe it, arguing that without it a pluralistic society cannot survive. Awarded the Prix Montyon by the Académie Française, The Limits of Tolerance is a powerful reflection on twenty-first-century democracy's most fundamental challenges.-- Provided by publisher Table of Contents......Page 10 Acknowledgments......Page 12 New Introduction for the American Edition......Page 16 1. Tolerance According to John Locke......Page 26 2. Voltaire and Modern Tolerance......Page 46 3. Tolerance in America......Page 60 4. Tolerance in the Ottoman Empire......Page 82 5. Tolerance in Venice......Page 102 6. On Blasphemy......Page 118 7. Multicultural Tolerance......Page 150 8. Of Veils and Unveiling......Page 172 9. New Restrictions, New Forms of Tolerance......Page 188 10. Should We Tolerate the Enemies of Tolerance?......Page 212 Epilogue for the American Edition: Tolerance in the Age of Terrorism......Page 224 Notes......Page 234 Index......Page 278 Tolerance According To John Locke -- Voltaire And Modern Tolerance -- Tolerance In America -- Tolerance In The Ottoman Empire -- Tolerance In Venice -- On Blasphemy -- Multicultural Tolerance -- Of Veils And Unveiling -- New Restrictions, New Forms Of Tolerance -- Should We Tolerate The Enemies Of Tolerance? -- Tolerance In The Age Of Terrorism. Denis Lacorne ; Translated By C. Jon Delogu And Robin Emlein. Translated From The French. Includes Bibliographical References And Index.