Description
“Toleration” has long been a central concept in political philosophy, yet its role in education remains surprisingly under-theorised. Philosophers typically analyse tolerance as forbearance: refraining from interfering with practices or ways of life one disapproves of. By contrast, educational policy, public debate, and classroom practice often invoke tolerance in a thicker sense, associating it with open-mindedness and being “non-judgemental”. This divergence raises a set of questions about what tolerance should mean in educational contexts, and what schools can legitimately be expected to teach.This panel will explore the concept, justification, and practical implications of tolerance in education. It will bring together work in political philosophy and philosophy of education to examine how tolerance should be understood when the subjects are children and young people rather than adults, and when the setting is the classroom rather than the public square.
One set of questions concerns conceptual analysis. In the educational context, is tolerance best understood as non-interference, as non-disapproval, as open-mindedness, or as something else entirely? Are these rival concepts in tension, or can they play complementary roles at different stages of education or in relation to different kinds of disagreement? Should tolerance be understood as a civic virtue, a moral attitude, an epistemic virtue, or a cluster of beliefs and practices? And how does tolerance differ from neighbouring ideals such as respect, recognition, and inclusion?
A second set of questions concerns legitimacy and justification. Liberal political theory has traditionally been wary of state efforts to shape citizens’ beliefs or attitudes. Yet schools routinely aim to influence how students think and feel about others, and educational policy often treats certain attitudes – racism and sexism, for example – as objectionable in themselves. When, if ever, is it legitimate for the state, acting through its educational institutions, to promote or discourage particular attitudes? And does the justification for tolerance in education rest on harm prevention, autonomy, or something else?
Third, there are questions relating to feasibility and efficacy. Can tolerance be taught, and if so, what does successful teaching look like? How should philosophical accounts of tolerance respond to recent challenges questioning whether tolerant attitudes can be taught?
Wednesday 2 September
11:30–13:00
Registration
12:30–14:00
Lunch
14:00–16:00
Margaret Cuonzo — The Paradoxes of Tolerance
Hailey Power — Toleration as a Virtue
16:00–16:30
Tea and Coffee Break
16:30–17:30
Jordi Vilahur — Tolerance and the School
17:45–19:00
Wine Reception
19:30
Conference Dinner
Thursday 3 September
09:30–11:30
Anamica Sharma — Reframing Tolerance in Education: A Caste-Critical Perspective
Christina Easton & Andy Mason — Open-Mindedness and Cultural Sensitivity: Two Multicultural Civic Virtues?
11:30–12:00
Tea and Coffee Break (optional)
12:00–13:00
Reem Amarneh — Beyond Tolerance and Conversation: Appiah, Moral Disagreement, and Cosmopolitan Education
13:00–14:00
Lunch
14:00–16:00
Ruth Wareham — Warts and All: Truth, Tolerance and Religious Education
Frauke Albersmeier — Educating for Moral Progress: The Forward-Looking Case for Judgemental Toleration
16:00–16:30
Tea and Coffee Break (optional)
16:30–17:30
Plenary Discussion
Led by Stephen Daniels — Tolerance, the Rights Respecting School Award and Human Rights Discourse
Approx. 19:00
Informal Dinner for Workshop Attendees
Following optional drinks. Please contact Christina if you would like to attend.
Workshop Ends
| Period | 2 Sept 2026 → 4 Sept 2026 |
|---|---|
| Event title | MANCEPT Workshops 2026 |
| Event type | Conference |
| Location | Manchester, United KingdomShow on map |