A Critique of Pure Tolerance – Robert Paul Wolff, Barrington Moore Jr., Herbert Marcuse (1965)

“A Critique of Pure Tolerance is a 1965 book by the philosopher Robert Paul Wolff, the sociologist Barrington Moore Jr., and the philosopher Herbert Marcuse, in which the authors discuss the political role of tolerance. … The authors explain that the book’s title refers to the philosopher Immanuel Kant‘s Critique of Pure Reason (1781), and suggest that their ideas may resemble those of Kant. They note that they have different perspectives on philosophy, with Wolff accepting, and Marcuse opposing, the approach of analytic philosophy, and Moore being critical of philosophy in general. They write that the purpose of the book is to discuss the political role of tolerance and that despite their disagreements with each other they believe that ‘the prevailing theory and practice of tolerance’ is hypocritical and conceals ‘appalling political realities.’ Wolff argues that tolerance should be studied ‘by means of an analysis of the theory and practice of democratic pluralism.’ Marcuse argues that ‘the realization of the objective of tolerance’ requires ‘intolerance toward prevailing policies, attitudes, opinions, and the extension of tolerance to policies, attitudes, and opinions which are outlawed or suppressed.’ He makes the case for ‘liberating tolerance’, which would consist of intolerance to right-wing movements and toleration of left-wing movements. … A Critique of Pure Tolerance received a negative review from the sociologist Nathan Glazer in the American Sociological Review. The book was also reviewed by the philosopher John Herman Randall Jr. in The Journal of Philosophy and L. Del Grosso Destreri in Studi di Sociologia. Glazer described the book as ‘peculiar’. He credited Marcuse with being open in his advocacy of intolerance, but accused Wolff of being incapable of distinguishing ‘facts from theory’ in his criticisms of tolerance and pluralist democracy. …”
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[PDF] A Critique of Pure Tolerance