“Tolerance and apathy are the last virtues of a dying society”
The character of this quotation is alien to Aristotle and ancient Greek ideas including using “tolerance” in this way and “dying society” (see the quora discussion). I poked around a bit through Aristotle, changing some of the ideas (an ancient Greek might think of “sick” or “corrupt” society”) but there is nothing close to this.
While searching, I found the variation “Tolerance is the last virtue of a depraved society” attributed to Dr. James Kennedy (an Evangelical preacher) and then Hutton Gibson (father of Mel Gibson and Holocaust Denier). Some of the mis-translations and fake translations can be found in quote books from the 19th century. This one does not appear in any books older than a decade or so and mostly in self-published racist texts whose titles and authors I will not print.
One need only a little familiarity with the discourse of modern politics to hear echoes of right-wing alarmism here. As a Reddit commenter notes, this one seems used to target multiculturalism and support a supremacist world view. And, as Curtis Dozier shows in Pharos, this fake-quotation is alive and well in modern xenophobia.
Don’t google this to see how people use it, because it will be upsetting. A reddit user did point to the Loeb translation of Politics:
“Also difference of race is a cause of faction, until harmony of spirit is reached; for just as any chance multitude of people does not form a state, so a state is not formed in any chance period of time. ” (Politics Book 5 section 1303a)
Aristotle, Politics 1303a27-30
“Not being of the same tribe is a cause of strife until they “breathe in sync” [breathe together? Sumpneusê], for just as a state does not develop from an accidental mob, so too it does not come together at an accidental time.”
στασιωτικὸν δὲ καὶ τὸ μὴ ὁμόφυλον, ἕως ἂν συμπνεύσῃ· ὥσπερ γὰρ οὐδ᾿ ἐκ τοῦ τυχόντος πλήθους πόλις γίγνεται, οὕτως οὐδ᾿ ἐν τῷ τυχόντι χρόνῳ. διὸ ὅσοι ἤδη συνοίκους ἐδέξαντο ἢ ἐποίκους οἱ πλεῖστοι ἐστασίασαν
It is easy to take this passage as supporting a racist point of view; I think that it probably is kind of racist, but it connects more with the Greek political idea of homophrosune or homonoia, that a unifying feature of a multiple people must be shared beliefs or aims. Also, rather than focusing on the first clause (the same tribe thing) note the trouble focus on “accident”: states cannot just happen. They need planning, work and a reason to be.
(Also, homonoia is not unproblematic, but at least it leaves open the idea that people who look different can join together in common cause. Maybe that is a pretty low bar, but it is as far from the texts using this fake quote as Olympos is from Tartaros.)
But, don’t fear, I am not going to defend Aristotle here. He can be plenty hateful. The point is, he did not say this stupid thing. And, further, there’s plenty of material he actually did say which is reprehensible. So, why be so lazy and recycle some nonsense from an American preacher?
Reblogged this on cassidyslangscam and commented:
Last year, I spent a lot of time writing in support of Liam Hogan, a historian who has opposed the fake Irish Slavery meme. Here’s an example of another piece of fakery used by the right-wing to justify their intolerant, half-baked nonsense.
I am glad you discussed the misuse and creation of fake text in modern discourse. I never saw such things when I was still in school and still teaching but hate groups proclaiming times to antiquity are popping up on campus according to news reports I see, local, state, and national. Part of me wishes I was still teaching so I could address it. Part of me thinks I might lose my cool in class if I had to do so.
Its real simple. America in 1950. America in 2020. The difference? Diversity/inclusion, open borders, and tolerance. It isn’t racist. Its fact!
quote is not Aristotle; and racists use it. fact.
No matter whether or not it can be interpreted as supremacist, it doesn’t matter! Our society in 21st century America, does not have to be governed like Ancient Greece! That’s what the supremacists get wrong: they try to twist history to suite their agenda, and believe the fallacy if the ancients did something, it means we must too! That said, even if Aristotle has views we disapprove of, that does not diminish his legacy in history! Why should we expect Aristotle to have contemporary attitudes? Isn’t that just another form of cultural supremacy? To impose our worldview and measure every ancient culture up to that standard? “Tolerance” in the SJW sense did not exist! nor the modern concept of racial divides! People have always been tribal, and prejudicial towards outsiders. This is not unique to any human culture! Sorry that Aristotle may not be as “woke” to your liking….
I did not say Aristotle should be dismissed. He can hold.views that are reprehensible to me and still be worthy of study. The terms ‘woke’ and ‘sjw’ are used as empty rhetorical cudgels. If you are not better than that, you should be.
What do you mean? The term “woke” is from the liberal side… Your article came off as being sympathetic to that side. And you’re right about Aristotle. What bugs me is when people say that the ancient world matters in how we ought to conduct our own society, like the supremacists. Aristotle’s views on foreigners does not matter to US foreign policy for instance. 5th century BC Greece is not 21st century America…. The supremacists trying to “appropriate” a quote from him is inconsequential and irrelevant to actually making our own country’s policies…. They make themselves look like fools to do so. My issue with some of what you said in the article, was this tone of holding Aristotle up to a modern standard from our culture, and judging him as if he were one of our own.
“Woke” is a lame term. Aristotle’s writings are demonstrably racist and sexist. Appropriation is a proble .because it skews the past and keeps people from seeing it.clearly. it also gives racists purchase on weak minds because of the authority of antiquity. Showing how Aristotle differs from and anticipates modern beliefs is critically and culturally useful.
Showing how his views on women have supported misogyny and oppression is important because it demonstrates how antiquity.can be used for ill and good.
Also. I am far enough to the left.that I find the term liberal useless.
” authority of antiquity”
That’s my exact point…. That’s a fallacy and flawed logic for those who use that. ancient societies are not our own, therefore should not be used as sole guide to govern ours! Aristotle may be racist and sexist by our contemporary standards, but not by his own within his own cultural matrix! Why do we get to set the bar for everyone else throughout human history for the “right” way to think? Also, please be careful in that there was not the same concept of race in antiquity as in contemporary history.
Oh, and just noting, just becuase I disagree with some of your content, doesn’t mean I find most of it interesting 🙂
Thanks
I know that race is not the same in the ancient world. People treat it as if it is.
That’s annoying…. Look, I hate it when history is misappropriated also…. Just, I feel both sides do it, not just the alt-right….
There’s a cool watchdog site called Pharos, which documents supremacists’ misuse of the classics! Really cool site! http://pages.vassar.edu/pharos/
Yes. My name is one of the signatories on a few of their posts!
Doesn’t mean I *don’t* find most of it interesting… forgot that word in my previous comment…
No matter how you spin it or whom said, it holds true. Tolerance and apathy….. The west is fucked now.
Huh?
It’s entirely true though, tolerance and apathy are the virtues of a dying society. Decadence is a moral and spiritual disease.
In a healthy society you wouldn’t consider proud nationalists EviL RaCiStS, you would comprehend the value of your people as a greater form of family. Aristotle understood this too, however much pathetic people like you try to hide from it.
The greatest minds are all intolerant of nonsense, and of lesser ideals.
You think Sub-Saharans will ever offer the world civilisation? Or philosophy?
Pharisees like this are the love mongers. They invented the THE CRIME OF FEELINGS on the halls on their MINISTRY OF LOVE. Whores cry rape and fell like a virgin. BURN THEM ALL!
Huh?
Racism ?
Nah .
https://summit.news/2020/03/02/video-drag-queen-teaches-toddlers-how-to-twerk/
You’re going to need a bigger slur .
Huh?
Connect the dot .
Tolerate drag shows for toddlers ? Yes or No .
Nought to do with fake Aristotle quotes
“Nought to do with fake Aristotle quotes”
As much as the appropriated bothersome quote has to do with the “pretty pony racism”.
Discrimination will save your life, I mean really .Why not drink something from under the sink marked poison, than a cold sparkling water ?
Sounds like bigotry if you have a preference .
“The non-tribal is factionalized” (i.e., it hasn’t the uniform genetic, linguistic, religious basis as a “homophyle” city-state; “causality” is an accretion from the translators). For that absent tribalism, the non-tribal body politic may in time substitute “breathing together”. Most who established colonies of many tribes or admitted migrants formed factions (i.e,, they presumably didn’t do their “breathing” exercise). More an historical observation from Aristotle, perhaps, than anything else .
Shut up ,kike
Jews are the enemy of humankind and anyone who is still blind to this is equally useless and dangerous
Really? Come on.
It is tempting to say that hateful comments ought not to be allowed by the moderator, but I guess it is better to know that there really are demented folks out there and that they pose real dangers, if they act on such sentiments. My interest was in doing a rough, un-modernized translation of Aristotle.
I am tempted not to allow such hateful comments, but I prefer for people to know the sickness of others out there.
I would have to think that the most hate in your post is that which you put into the last two words.
What a hero. At first I thought I might credit you with at least proving this wasn’t Aristotle’s quote, but you didn’t even do that. You sure didn’t prove any racism. Your first error was using the term, xenophobe. Your second, the tip of the hat to hate speech. Your third was the lame attempt at heightened prose…even a little bit doesn’t work for this article. What you are is lazy, a pseudo-intellect, and an online authoritarian, and whether Aristotle said it, or some other intellect did, the quote is a good one and I’d bet it was crafted for people just like you. See ya in the funny papers there, comrade 😀
Ancient Greece was an aristocratic, racist and mysogynist society. Absolutely right wing by today’s standards. Just like all the greatest human civilization of the past. The concept of Phusis was central in Greek philosophy and discussed extensively. The phusis was the core idea of essentialism. Which means oranges are oranges and apples are apples. No notion of equality whatsoever. Equality is an absurdity.
Seeing fragile leftists seething at Aristotle is hilarious. You guys are clowns.
This is not a quotation from aristotle. Your attempt to insult and abuse does not change that.
I can’t wait until we’re able to shoot you leftist subhumans in the streets with impunity.
Right. Elevated rhetoric here.
Three years after posting my attempt at a rough translation, I still think that Aristotle was not offering a theoretical view in this passage. Rather, I think he was summarizing his research (or his students’ research), as he did in his studies of so many “constitutions” (even some non-Hellenic ones). I think he looked at lots of Greek colonies, both those founded by a single metropolis and those which had mixed populations. He interpreted the data to mean that the ones with fewest factional splits were the colonies of a single ethnic make-up. That’s all the passage means (IMO).