Herbert Marcuse’s “Repressive Tolerance”
Dr. A writes:
Indiana University’s recent refusal to have a conservative-leaning speaker on campus is just one of an increasing number of such acts of “repressive tolerance” at universities nationwide. Ideologues of the Academic Left demand toleration of every sexual and social perversion known to man, but systematically refuse to allow speakers or programs that hint of anything biblical or conservative. This hypocrisy of the Left in such matters of free speech and “tolerance” is baffling to most non-Leftists until you read Herbert Marcuse, the father of campus radicalism. In his 1965 article “Repressive Tolerance” (dedicated to students at Brandeis University), Marcuse explains why the Left should suppress the freedoms of those on the Right. For Marcuse, the only way to “true tolerance” is by denying freedom to those on the Right (i.e., anyone who disagrees with Leftist ideology) and withdrawing their freedom of speech.
Here is Marcuse’s argument, straight from the horse’s mouth:
“Reopening channels of true toleration may be accomplished by apparently undemocratic means that include the withdrawal of toleration of speech and assembly from groups and movements which promote aggressive policies, armament, chauvinism, discrimination on the grounds of race and religion, or which oppose the extension of public services, social security, medical care, etc. Liberating tolerance is intolerance against movements from the Right and toleration of movements from the Left.”
You have to love the progressives: only tolerating and allowing that which they agree with.
Sure gives a new meaning to the word “tolerate”.