The problem of tolerance: arguments from fiction. What is tolerance: definition, synonyms

For the first time the term "tolerance" appeared in 1953. The English immunologist Medawar meant tolerance of a property of the immune system, in which the body perceives an alien body as its own and does not react to it in any way.

Later, the word "tolerance" began to use other scientific disciplines, in each of which it acquired its special significance. In the article we will consider what this term means, synonyms for the word "tolerance", and also denote the main problems of tolerance, arguing them with statements from fiction.

Tolerance is ...

So, what is tolerance? The definition of this term is often referred to as tolerance for the behavior, culture and ethnicity of the surrounding people. In sociology, tolerance is viewed as patience for a different way of life. But this does not mean that this term is synonymous with the word "indifferent". It can be regarded as an opportunity to give others the right to live as they see fit.

In philosophy, the word "tolerance" is meant as patience for other views and habits. In society, this quality is needed in order to peacefully exist with people of other faiths, national and religious affiliation.

Ethical sciences denote tolerance as the ability to calmly and without aggression perceive all forms of self-expression of another person. Here the main synonyms of tolerance are the notions of benevolence and tolerance.

The problem of definition

In general, synonyms for tolerance are such concepts as respect, understanding and acceptance.

Tolerance can not be called a concession, indulgence or indulgence, besides, it does not mean tolerance for injustice on the part of another person or a rejection of one's own worldview and behavioral features.

You can consider many definitions of tolerance, but none of them will fully disclose the meaning of this process because one can not completely cover all aspects of human life. So what is tolerance? The definition of this term can be reduced to the following. Tolerance is a conscious, sincere tolerance, a special psychological attitude that is oriented towards respectful perception of other values, beliefs, ways of self-expression and other components of human individuality. This is an active position, which helps to reach mutual understanding between opponents.

Tolerance in the modern world

Modern problems of tolerance almost do not differ from those that are given in the literary works of the classics. They include ethnic, social, and gender misunderstanding. It remains to learn only one rule: no matter how the world has changed, tolerance will always be considered a virtue.

But now, as never before, the first task that needs to be addressed is the problem of tolerance formation. This is due to the following reasons:

• Sudden and dynamic division of civilization on economic, ethnic, religious, social and other criteria. In this regard, the level of intolerance in society has increased.
• The growth of religious extremism.
• Local wars exacerbated interethnic relations (for example, the war between Ukraine and Russia).
• Problems with refugees.

To cultivate tolerance in someone, certain conditions are necessary, the so-called basic principles. They include 5 positions:

• Violence should never be a means to an end.
• Freedom of choice. A person must come to a decision consciously.
• Force yourself without forcing others. The basic principle of tolerance is the ability of a person to remain himself, without forcing the other to change his views.
• Observance of laws, traditions and customs is an important factor in the development of tolerance.
• Accept another as it is, regardless of the differences.

The relevance of the problem of tolerance can not be questioned. After all, as the philosopher Yu. A. Schrader once remarked: "The most terrible catastrophe that threatens the earth civilization is the destruction of humanity in man." Therefore, about the acceptance of other people as they are, so much is written and said.

Tolerance and Literature

To understand the depth of this problem, it is better to resort to literary arguments. In stories, novels and stories, different life situations are described, where you can see the examples of protagonists, what tolerance is in real life.

The urgency of the problem of tolerance first appeared in literary works of Ancient Rus. The wandering writer Athanasius Nikitin described the variety of religious movements in India. In his texts, he invited the reader to think about all the diversity of the world and tolerate people with a different faith.

But special attention should be paid to the works of classical literature. Writers of that time talked about the problems of tolerance that existed in society. Thus, in the works of the eighteenth century, the problems of tolerance were spread in the scientific and educational sphere. Already in the XIX century, the problem of class tolerance begins to arise. In particular, Tolstoy's works "War and Peace", Turgenev's "Fathers and Sons" testify to this, where the main arguments of the problem of tolerance are examined.

According to the classics

From the pages of classical literature one can learn a lot about the problem of tolerance. Arguments given in the works are relevant even today. Take, for example, the story "Children of the Underground" (VG Korolenko). The author tells the story of a little boy Vasya, who could not find understanding in his own family. Despite the fact that his father held a high position in society, he was always alone. Once he meets Valk and Marusya. These guys were from the lowest social stratum of the population. So two social realities collided, which were closely intertwined. Vasya managed to understand and accept someone else's pain, he began to understand the adults better and thanks to this he could establish relations with his father.

In this work, the problem of social inequality is revealed, and while there will be a stratification of society into classes, it will remain relevant.

Another example from the classical literature can be found in Tolstoy's work, "Walking by Flour". Here, basically, we talk about gender tolerance, when a woman becomes an equal man. Since at the turn of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries this problem of equality was widely spread, it was placed at the basis of many literary works.

The problem of interethnic tolerance is well revealed in the work "Sea Stories" (KM Stanyukovich). Russian sailors once picked up a boy of African-American descent in the open sea and treated him with all human compassion, despite the color of his skin.

This problem is revealed in Leo Tolstoy's story "The Prisoner of the Caucasus." The main idea that the author tried to convey was: "There are no good or bad nations, only good and bad people of different nations."

Literary arguments

Tolerance was one of the favorite themes of the authors of a different style and genre. Not only in novels, stories, or stories, this problem occurs. For example, in Krylov's fables, the problem of finding a compromise between characters with different points of view is deeply visible. In the fable "Swan, Cancer and the Pike" the heroes did not manage to move the cart, as everyone did what he was used to: Cancer paced backwards, the Swan flew up, and Pike jumped into the water, so "it's still there".

In the fable "Elephant and Moca" a little dog for no apparent reason begins to bark up quietly walking elephant, instead of just passing by. Someone might say that this is just an entertaining children's narrative, but, in fact, there is something else hidden here. If we draw a parallel with some events of the present day, we can see that in this simple work the problem of tolerance is hidden. Often on the streets you can meet people who rudely, arrogantly or with displeasure express their opinion to other, completely unfamiliar people. For example, the situation: the company of tourists arrived in the resort town. Their place of residence was next to the station, so that it was useless to take a taxi, although they had difficult bags. But at the crossing they began to talk among themselves about the fact that it's hard to go with such a load. The woman who passed by heard these words and expressed her opinion, saying that "riders" had arrived and could not afford to take transport.

The situation is not quite typical, but it is excellent for analogy with the fable "The Elephant and the Mosque".

My own and others'

The problem of tolerance in fiction is represented by a wide variety of works. It is displayed in children's tales of Andersen and Pushkin, it can be seen in the stories about Winnie the Pooh and Carlson. Examples of tolerant behavior can serve as animals from the Kipling work "Mowgli".

Arguments of the problem of tolerance can be found in every second literary work. Even in the stories of war or political repression there is room for something human. Take, for example, the "Alpine Ballad" by V. Bykov. Events of history unfold during the Great Patriotic War. From the camp of the fascists escape prisoners: Russian soldier Ivan and Julia, a girl from Italy. They had only three days. Three days of long-awaited freedom, chase and life in the most difficult conditions. When the fascists overtook the fugitives, Ivan took all the blame on himself, for which he paid with his life. Julia all her life cherished the memory of a brave soldier. After the war, she found his relatives in Russia and wrote to them about the death of Ivan. She wanted to talk about the feat of a simple soldier who saved an unknown foreigner. They did not even know each other's language.

Here is described the interethnic problem of tolerance. Arguments from literature that are written in a similar vein reveal the profound meaning of tolerance and humanity. The reader would have understood the behavior of the protagonist if he had defended his compatriot. But here was an Italian, with whom they were not even acquainted. So why did he do this? The protagonist did not divide people into "Russians" and "not Russians" and simply did what he could do if there was someone else in the Italian place. The author tried to show that there is no such thing as "one's own" and "another's", there is simply a person in need of help.

Love line

No less colorful is the problem of accepting others in M. Sholokhov's novel Quiet Flows the Don. Here, in the harsh conditions of the civil war, tolerance seems to be something impossible, but the author introduces an additional "variable" that is on a level higher than the conventions - this is love.

The heroes of the novel - Dunyasha Melekhova and Mishka Kosheva - loved each other. But in the course of the revolution, their families stood on opposite sides of the barricade, and when all the military actions were over, Mishka Kosheva was an enemy to the Dunyashka family. But they are in love, and this love is above all conventions. Morality will always stand above ideological and political preferences.

From words to deeds

Tolerance is written very much, that's just in practice, everything happens completely differently. Beautiful stories about accepting people with a different worldview exist only in books, but not in the real world. In particular, this concerns the younger generation.

The problems of tolerance in the youth environment are provoked, first of all, by antisocial behavior and commercialization of relations. The rising generation in the first place is always the modern devaysy and only then everything else. The old values have long been lost. Every day new youth groups and movements are created, the number of anti-social radical organizations is growing. Simply put, in the circle of adolescents and young people to be tolerant now is "not fashionable."

In schools, in particular schools, the concept of tolerance is studied. However, the definition does not go further. As research shows, the level of acceptance of others falls. Perhaps, to all the fault of the lack of positive examples that could show how to be tolerant, perhaps few of the students read Russian classics. Nevertheless, sooner or later each of them will have to write an essay on the topic "The problem of tolerance".

And this can become a serious problem when there is no clear understanding of the problem, and the essay is the task of the USE.

To write the essay "The Problem of Tolerance", arguments from literature are extremely important. They can be used as a basis for making analogies with the events in the modern world. Alternatively, you can briefly describe the work and explain why his opinion is authoritative. The second option is much easier, but for an example we try to combine two ways of writing a composition.

Example of an essay

"Perhaps very soon people will live in absolute isolation from each other to keep their fragile peace from strangers. But this will not happen soon, although there are already serious prerequisites for this transition - a low level of tolerance in society. Now you need to match the word "norm".

If there is at least something different in a person, they can not take him into the collective, society, or worse - make him an outcast. As a heroine from the story of L. Ulitskaya "The daughter of Bukhara", Mila. The girl has Down syndrome since childhood. She is brought up by her mother and uses all her strength to make the girl happy. But the attitude towards people with special needs in society is indifferent, and if lucky, then indulgent.

"Various idiots" and "useless members of society" are just a few epithets by which the author characterized the attitude of society towards "other" people. For some reason it is believed that such people have no right to compassion, respect or understanding.

But there are people who have other, distinctive characteristics. It is worth recalling Tolstoy's novel War and Peace. The protagonist Pierre Bezukhov does not fit into the secular society at all. And here it is not so much about his awkwardness as about the character. He is naive, gullible and simple-hearted. Open to the world and very kind. But where he is selfish and hypocritical, he is a stranger.

And in the modern world, almost at every step there are similar situations. The boy got into an accident and became disabled, now he is much less likely to join the society when he grows up. Over time, old friends will turn away, they start ignoring and circumventing others. Now he is an invalid, useless member of society. A girl who likes to read books, does not watch TV and very rarely visits the Internet, also feels the skewed looks of her peers.

Such situations make one think about whether people can be called people when they exclude their own kind from their society without bitterness and regret. To be tolerant means to remain human. And in this, everyone can succeed if he simply treats others as he would like to be treated. "

The problem of tolerance is difficult to understand. It can arise in different spheres of life and situations. And summing up all of the above, we can note the following: tolerance is humanity. And humanity is nothing more than the ability to get on with oneself like them, without diminishing their importance and not losing their individuality.