Abstract
Toleration while a useful and necessary tool can not be itself a public good. Firstly, I examine the implications of Augustine's conceptualization of good and evil finding that if one accepts the logic of his argument, toleration will always be bound by one's understanding of good and evil. Secondly, using Augustine's logic the role of toleration in liberalism is examined noting that the public goods of toleration and material security are incompatible. Next, I examine two critics of liberalism, William Connolly and Alasdair Maclntyre, and their understanding of the role of toleration. William Connolly believes that it is possible to have toleration as a public good as long as evil in politics is eliminated. Maclntyre believes that the parameters for toleration can be set using standards of rational justification. I conclude that challenge presented by Augustine's conceptualization of good and evil has different implications for politics and the university.
Reinemeyer, Anneliese Louise (1997). Moral conflict and toleration: the problem of evil in politics. Master's thesis, Texas A&M University. Available electronically from
https : / /hdl .handle .net /1969 .1 /ETD -TAMU -1997 -THESIS -R44.