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2 years ago in Philosophy & Ethics By Roma

From a philosophical perspective, does thinking in simplistic categories (e.g., good/bad, us/them) inherently foster intolerance, or can it sometimes be a necessary step toward developing tolerance?

In my work on political polarization, I see a link between black-and-white thinking and intolerance of opposing views. But I wonder: don't we all start with simple categories as children? Is some level of categorical thinking necessary to even have moral principles to then apply tolerantly? Can a sophisticated tolerance exist without first passing through a stage of simpler, more rigid moral understanding? Or does the very structure of simplistic thought, by its nature, preclude the nuance required for genuine tolerance?

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By Mayur Desai Answered 1 year ago

This is a developmental and epistemological question. Cognitive simplicity—thinking in rigid binaries—is often a starting point for moral understanding, but it is structurally antagonistic to mature tolerance. Tolerance requires the recognition of legitimate difference and the suspension of judgment, which simplistic categories actively suppress by forcing complex realities into "right/wrong" boxes. While one may pass through simplistic stages (as in Kohlberg's pre-conventional level), genuine tolerance is a product of overcoming that simplicity, not extending it. Simplistic thinking fosters intolerance because it equates difference with error or threat. The philosophical foundation of tolerance is the acknowledgment of reasonable pluralism (Rawls) and fallibilism—ideas that are themselves sophisticated challenges to black-and-white thought. Simplicity may be a stage, but it is one we must move beyond to cultivate tolerance.

 

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