Liberal/Leftist Intolerance on College Campuses

Abstract

Political intolerance is an issue that today is affecting America and Americans more than ever. Although original research associated intolerance with conservatism, recent research has indicated that political intolerance lies on both sides of the spectrum. Today this can clearly be seen on many college campuses, with censorship of conservative ideas by the left. The rationales behind liberal intolerance are not well understood yet, especially since acceptance of different ideas is a tenet of liberalism. This study will focus on understanding the rationales behind liberal intolerance. Through qualitative in-depth interviews of liberal/leftist -identifying college students, this study will aim to understand whether or not liberal/leftist college students are willing to be intolerant through the use of censorship and, if so, what rationales they use to justify that. I predict that the rationales may have to do with the ideological conflict, perceived threat and ideas in line with Marcuse’s ideology of repressive tolerance. Furthermore, this study will help explain why college censorship is deemed necessary by some, and it will also help bridge the political divide by providing insight on the roots of liberal intolerance.