Several writers have improved our understanding of the concept of tolerance, but still there are problems that must be solved. This article, therefore, sets out to explicate the concept of tolerance by exploring some formal aspects and some of its basic parts. The article defines the ‘conditions’ of the concept, emphasizes an important distinction between ‘tolerance’ and ‘toleration’, discuss the nature of the reasons to object to items (the ‘scope’ of tolerance), and the reasoning and rationality of tolerant agents. The (...) aim is to sketch a consistent view of the concept of tolerance, from which a ‘theory of tolerance’ ‐ or a defence of tolerance ‐ could be developed. (shrink)

The conflicts permeating the environmental debate since the 1960s have mainly involved two actors: multinational companies and international environmental organizations. Today, there are signs that the antagonism is ending with regards to co-operation and strategy. We argue that this convergence is no longer limited to specific joint projects, but is also prevalent at the idea and policy levels. Both actors have begun describing problems in similar terms, articulating the same goals and recommending the same solutions. Such convergence offers advantages in (...) efforts to counteract climate change but also some problems: declining citizen trust in ENGOs, risk of intellectually impoverished environmental and energy debates, and loss of alternate visions and values. (shrink)