ABSTRACT
One of the more salient consequences of closed-mindedness is intolerance, which reveals itself in stereotyping, prejudices, and discrimination against various groups. To date it has frequently been demonstrated that closed-mindedness leads to intolerance, and that those espousing conservative or right-wing views are more prejudiced, and more dogmatically religious. The results confirmed the causal nature of the link between uncertainty and intergroup attitudes, mediated by religiosity of an orthodox character. The chapter presents studies which clearly show that religiosity – of a kind constituting a reaction to anxiety and uncertainty – with ease become a source of social evil: prejudices, exclusion, aggression. Multiple studies systematically demonstrate the link between conservative or right-wing beliefs and various forms of prejudice and discrimination. The problem occurs when public discourse assumes the characteristics of a deep ideological conflict reinforced by radical declarations. The interpretative dimension, however, was not associated with avoidance of uncertainty, nor with intolerance.
