On intolerance and ways of thinking: a reflection from Paul Ricoeur

Abstract

This article discusses the issue of intolerance and its consequences in the world. It starts from the idea that intolerance is a problem that coexists with humanity and is part of its history, and analyzes it from the point of view of human options, seeking reflexes in education. It aims to hold a discussion on intolerance in 21st century society that, with the strengthening of authoritarian governments, has been gaining strength, and seeking ways to overcome the problem. The bibliographic character of the article allows a greater hermeneutic analysis of intolerance as an ideological trait. We work here from authors, especially Ricoeur (1990) and Adorno (1995) who analyze the elements that lead from ideology to the polarization of opinion, which is an engine of intolerance. If the contemporary world is so polarized and depoliticized, politics and critical thinking seem to be the way. It is concluded that, beyond the acquisition of the critical spirit, the possibility of overcoming lies in the human capacity for discernment, since the critical spirit itself, when not well understood, can be at the service of an ideology and serve to reinforce intolerance. The school is largely responsible for developing the criticality needed to overcome intolerance.