Tolerance and the Ethical Life (Continuum Studies in Philosophy, 44) ISBN-13: 9780826499882

Author: Fiala, Andrew

Brand: Continuum

Number Of Pages: 208

ISBN-13: 9780826499882

Release Date: 15-12-2007

Languages: English

Binding: Paperback

Part Number: 9780826499882

Package Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 0.7 inches

Details: In a fresh and exciting way, this new book shows how tolerance connects with the practice of philosophy. Andrew Fiala examines the virtue of tolerance as it appears in several historical contexts: Socratic philosophy, Stoic philosophy, Pragmatism, and Existentialism. The lesson derived is that tolerance is a virtue for what Fiala calls tragic communities. Such communities are developed when we come together across our differences, but they lack the robust sense of connection that we often seek with others – the complete sort of happiness that is offered by a more utopian ideal of community. But rather than viewing this conclusion as a failure, Fiala maintains that tragic communities are the best communities possible for human beings who are aware of their own individuality and finitude. Indeed, they are typical of the sorts of communities created by philosophers engaged in dialogue with others.