Tolerance and dissent within education : on cultivating debate and understanding

This book explores how the concept of tolerance might be understood, cultivated and enacted in and through educational encounters. It argues that by opening up educational encounters to allow for 'dissent' - that is, disagreement, criticism and open dialogue - our everyday social life experiences and relationships would flourish, and potentially allow for a more peaceful and harmonious co-existence alongside those with whom we disagree. Dissent does not mean that 'anything goes'; what is needed is considerate and responsible recognition of distinct and diverse perspectives. Tolerance is sometimes regarded as a simple and uncritical celebration of difference, and sometimes dismissed as a necessary and resentful acceptance of others. Here, the authors make a compelling case for 'conditional tolerance', which requires us to continuously reflect on the limits of what we are willing to tolerate. The book will be an indispensable resource for researchers and students working in the areas of education, philosophy and sociology, particularly those with an interest in educational freedom, democracy and social justice. Read more... Abstract: It argues that by opening up educational encounters to allow for `dissent' - that is, disagreement, criticism and open dialogue - our everyday social life experiences and relationships would flourish, and potentially allow for a more peaceful and harmonious co-existence alongside those with whom we disagree. Read more... Front Matter ....Pages i-xvi Revisiting Some Liberal Views on Tolerance (Nuraan Davids, Yusef Waghid)....Pages 1-18 Educational Encounters and the Pursuit of Conditional Tolerance (Nuraan Davids, Yusef Waghid)....Pages 19-34 On a Tolerance of Conscience: Toward Equal Respect in Educational Encounters (Nuraan Davids, Yusef Waghid)....Pages 35-50 Respect, Liberty, Tolerance and Educational Encounters (Nuraan Davids, Yusef Waghid)....Pages 51-68 Openness with Tolerance Through Educational Encounters (Nuraan Davids, Yusef Waghid)....Pages 69-84 Modes of Disagreement, Tolerance and Educational Encounters (Nuraan Davids, Yusef Waghid)....Pages 85-102 Friendship, Disruptive Educational Encounters and Tolerance (Nuraan Davids, Yusef Waghid)....Pages 103-118 Judgment, Forgiveness, Tolerance and Educational Encounters (Nuraan Davids, Yusef Waghid)....Pages 119-133 Inclusion/Exclusion, Tolerance and Educational Encounters (Nuraan Davids, Yusef Waghid)....Pages 135-150 Cosmopolitanism, Tolerance and Educational Encounters (Nuraan Davids, Yusef Waghid)....Pages 151-166 Back Matter ....Pages 167-187 Annotation The authors explore how the concept of tolerance might be understood, cultivated and enacted in and through educational encounters. They argue that by opening up educational encounters to allow for 'dissent' - that is, disagreement, criticism and open dialogue - our everyday social life experiences and relationships would flourish, and potentially allow for a more peaceful and harmonious co-existence alongside those with whom we disagree