Authority Quote by George Bernard Shaw
“Dogmatic toleration is nonsense: I would no more tolerate the teaching of Calvinism to children if I had power to persecute it than the British Raj tolerated suttee in India. Every civilized authority must draw a line between the tolerable and the intolerable.”
About This Quote
Source Play: Man and Superman, 1903
He argues that tolerating harmful ideologies is as unacceptable as tolerating oppressive practices.
In simple terms: Intolerable ideas must be opposed.
Key Takeaway
Identify and challenge harmful doctrines.
Themes
ethics
politics
religion
Mood
thought‑provoking
controversial
Type
philosophical
political
When to use this quote
- education policy
- religious instruction
- human rights law
Key Concepts
tolerance
extremism
historical oppression
Questions to Reflect On
- When is tolerance harmful?
- How to balance freedom and safety?
A Different Perspective
Tolerance can be misused to protect dangerous beliefs.
![“What I am trying to argue here [Save Calvinism] and in other works before this one is that the Reformed tradition as I have characterized it is much broader and richer than many of us today imagine. It is not just about "Five Points," and it was never just about [John ] Calvin's thought.” quote by Oliver D. Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/2cb/oliver-d-crisp-12863_arguing_what-i-am-trying-to-argue-here-save-calv_134263.jpg)
![“The rationale which accompanies that imposition of male authority euphemistically referred to as 'the battle of the sexes' bears a certain resemblance to the formulas of nations at war, where any heinousness is justified on the grounds that the enemy is either an inferior [part of the] species or…” quote by Kate Millett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/895/kate-millett-7301_accompany_the-rationale-which-accompanies-that-imp_8896.jpg)