ABSTRACT
The scale of conceptions of toleration stretches from a very pragmatic or negative standpoint (bearing, suffering) at one end to an almost utopian or positive standpoint (welcoming and supportive) on the other. Defining tolerance presents challenges; there is no single accepted definition. Confronting these challenges, I will suggest that rather than asking the question ‘what is tolerance?’ in general, it is better to focus on the conditions and resources for tolerance in order to properly approach the subject. Following the hypothesis of a manifold history of tolerance (C. Nederman), it follows that tolerance comprises a great richness of resources and concepts—from negative to positive, private to public, normative and pragmatic, vertical to horizontal, and forced to allowed. Furthermore, it is clearly not a phenomenon unique to post-Reformation Europe. This introductory chapter covers historical and modern approaches to tolerance and offers a systematic way to approach the subject.
