Tolerance of Diversity and Diversity of Intolerance: Evidence from Serbia

In classical liberal thought, the norm of political tolerance is understood as not being preconditioned by the content of political views. Controversies about the universal vs. relative nature of political tolerance, however, are ubiquitous. Public opinion research has also noted that there is a contradiction between the universal norm of political tolerance and its relative application. This paper examines this universal-relative contradiction using survey evidence from Serbia. The results show a considerable normative inconsistency among the Serbian public. However, it proved difficult to statistically account for the observed inconsistency. It was also observed that this normative inconsistency is related to the character of target groups. Those perceived as being outside of legitimate politics, such as neo-Nazi groups, are treated as exceptions to the general norm of political tolerance.