- Aug 27, 2011
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It has to be one the most misused and inappropriately used abstract nouns in the English language!
Bigotry : "Intolerance towards those who hold different opinions from oneself"
Firstly, it is almost always used in a negative sense. Tolerance is positive and intolerance is negative.
But life just isn't as simple as that!
Here are some obvious examples:
I am intolerant to those who hold the view that anti-semitism is acceptable. Because I am intolerant towards someone holding a different opinion is this an example of bigotry? Probably not - most people would probably agree that hostility against Jews is a bad thing, and shouldn't be tolerated.
So it seems to me that the term 'bigot' is actually a fluid term, if not arbitrary? The arbitrary-ness is that it is down to the individual to decide morally or ethically which is the worse offence - the prejudice/ hostility OR the (in) tolerance of the prejudice/ hostility?
Seems to me that this term is open to suiting ones own biases and beliefs - to me to label someone as a bigot devoid of any context is largely a meaningless observation!
Any thoughts on this one?
Bigotry : "Intolerance towards those who hold different opinions from oneself"
Firstly, it is almost always used in a negative sense. Tolerance is positive and intolerance is negative.
But life just isn't as simple as that!
Here are some obvious examples:
I am intolerant to those who hold the view that anti-semitism is acceptable. Because I am intolerant towards someone holding a different opinion is this an example of bigotry? Probably not - most people would probably agree that hostility against Jews is a bad thing, and shouldn't be tolerated.
So it seems to me that the term 'bigot' is actually a fluid term, if not arbitrary? The arbitrary-ness is that it is down to the individual to decide morally or ethically which is the worse offence - the prejudice/ hostility OR the (in) tolerance of the prejudice/ hostility?
Seems to me that this term is open to suiting ones own biases and beliefs - to me to label someone as a bigot devoid of any context is largely a meaningless observation!
Any thoughts on this one?