Abstract
Conscience is an inherent quality present in all human beings such as to make them equal, ‘anyone who has it (and all humans do) is worthy of boundless respect…’ (Nussbaum, Liberty of conscience: In defense of America’s tradition of religious equality. New York, NY: Basic Books, 2008: 19). The point about conscience is that all humans are endowed with such a capacity, and on this basis they should be treated equally with respect. By implication, teachers and students in educational encounters are ‘worthy of respect’ (Nussbaum, Liberty of conscience: In defense of America’s tradition of religious equality. New York, NY: Basic Books, 2008: 19). In this chapter, we examine, firstly, the implications of human conscience for educational encounters vis-à-vis tolerance. Next, we contemplate conceptions of autonomy, by taking into account the diverse interpretations of autonomy, while considering its implications for educational encounters. This is followed by an exposition of ‘weakness of will’ in relation to autonomous action, practical rationality and emotion.
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Davids, N., Waghid, Y. (2017). On a Tolerance of Conscience: Toward Equal Respect in Educational Encounters. In: Tolerance and Dissent within Education. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-58109-5_3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-58109-5_3
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