Karl Popper Quotes
Unlimited tolerance must lead to the disappearance of tolerance. If we extend unlimited tolerance even to those who are intolerant, if we are not prepared to defend a tolerant society against the onslaught of the intolerant, then the tolerant will be destroyed, and tolerance with them… We should therefore claim, in the name of tolerance, the right not to tolerate the intolerant. We should claim that any movement preaching intolerance places itself outside the law, and we should consider incitement to intolerance and persecution as criminal, in the same way as we should consider incitement to murder, or to kidnapping, or to the revival of the slave trade, as criminal.
Karl Popper, 1902-1994, Political Philosopher, The Open Society and Its Enemies, 1945
Sourced by: Eigen's Political and Historical Quotations
As long as the bigotry took for form of speech, writing, and voting he was a defender even of anti-Semites. However, when that leads to violence or an infringement on other people’s rights, then the bigotry becomes criminal.
Singapore has three main ethnic groups, Malays—the indigenous people—Chinese, and Indians. The latter two groups have been more successful intellectually and commercially however the Malays are the largest group. There has been a history of resentment and discrimination as there has been in Malaysia and Indonesia. However, Singapore—under the leadership of Lee Kuan Yew—has minimized it and kept a lid on overt conflict and antagonism. However, he has restricted freedom of the press and freedom of speech to eliminate incendiary triggering incidents.
Sir Karl Raimund Popper CH FBA FRS was an Austrian-British philosopher, academic and social commentator.
