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Uncommon Knowledge: Harvey Mansfield

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Are Conservatives More Tolerant than Liberals?

02 min 01 sec

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Is conservatism closer to the mission of the university than liberalism? Are conservatives more tolerant than liberals?

Harvard government professor Harvey Mansfield defends his two assertions, arguing that while liberals expect conservatism to disappear, conservatives are "much more tolerant of people who disagree with them."
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33 min 08 sec

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There are 17 comments on this program

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Previous FORAtv comments:

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scamper

Posted: 09.29.10, 10:08 PM

"He's says liberals are intolerant of the intolerance of conservatives." And this just proves Mansfield point about the intolerance of the left. Mansfield actually says "Liberals are intolerant of those that don't put tolerance FIRST" Notice the FIRST. It does not imply anything of the intolerance of conservatives. Just that they don't put tolerance FIRST. They might put doing the right thing FIRST. The other point, which of course you missed is Mansfield clearly talks about the fact that the left does not use tolerance as 'accepting another point of view'... they demand tolerance as agreeing. A common example. It is not enough for a person to just let a Homosexual person be (you don't discriminate...). For the left, they must mandate that being homosexual is just as right as being heterosexual. But of course... this kind of analysis would actually require listening to the speaker. Which is not in the left agenda which again goes to Mans field's point that the left believes any other view point, but their own is something that just needs to be corrected by proper education... so why listen to them. Why consider other points of view?

Adam Keele

Posted: 09.29.10, 02:29 PM

Does this man own a dictionary? I apparently have had the wrong impression of Harvard all this time. This is a prime example why we all need to be independent moderates. Let the situation dictate the solution--not a set of preconceived notions.

Ian Meyer

Posted: 09.29.10, 11:43 AM

I think Mansfield makes it all clear right before this clip when he says, "The people who put toleration first [liberals] are intolerant of those who don't put toleration first [conservatives]." He's says liberals are intolerant of the intolerance of conservatives. The only way for liberals to avoid this would be to accept intolerance. Mansfield is simultaneously arguing that we should be more accepting of intolerance and also that intolerance is evil. He is in effect saying that we should be more accepting of evil. Good job, sir. Perhaps you feel stigmatized in your university not because of your beliefs, but because of arguments like this one. In any case, the logical argument is this clip is not sound. Whether or not someone believes their opposition will be around forever does not imply anything about their level of tolerance of other opposition. And what exactly is he basing his assumption that liberals think conservatives will go away and conservatives think liberals will be around forever? PS bmacrae - Do you really not see the sad irony in your post?

Enric

Posted: 09.29.10, 09:33 AM

Ha! A message here adds evidence to Mansfield's statement on Conservatives More Accepting Than Liberals.

maximus444

Posted: 09.29.10, 09:11 AM

Speaking as a liberal I think he makes a valid point with regard to how I at least view the conservative ideology, especially the conservatives social views.

bmacrae

Posted: 09.29.10, 06:07 AM

Such a cogent, well balanced comment! Do you have much academic experience youself? No? Well we can't all afford to read. It must be nice living in a thought free zone. Here's a tip, wronghead; if you become senslessly hostile to complete strangers who, obviously, are not speaking to you, you bring the hostility youself. Learn to recognize where the problem lies and please, for the sake of those who must actually speak with you, DEAL WITH IT...

wrongheaded

Posted: 09.29.10, 12:40 AM

Don't tell me what I think old man, and don't presume to speak for everyone aligned with you politically. Here I was hoping he would have, you know, actual evidence for his claims. Any studies done on the topic? No? So you're just pulling this out of your ass then? I see. It must be nice living in a fact-free zone; you can make whatever grand pronouncements you want, with nothing to back them up by an inexhaustible supply of smug.

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