Popper’s Paradox

In 1945, the Austrian philosopher Karl Popper, having escaped the Nazis just before World War II, published a book, The Open Society and Its Enemies. It included, in a footnote, what Popper called “The Paradox of Tolerance:”

Recognizing Intolerance

“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.”