Judging the Other: Beyond Toleration

This paper contrasts Richard Kearney’s diacritical hermeneutics with postmodern philosophies that unduly emphasize the transcendence of otherness (deconstruction, radical hermeneutics), with special attention to the topic of judgment. Toleration, the theme of the conference, is concerned with both judgment and (in)action. It is the decision not to negate an other that we find distasteful or even deplorable. However, while toleration is undoubtedly a virtue, it is not appropriate in all circumstances. Beyond toleration lies our obligation to act, to struggle against evil and for the good. Such action is problematic for deconstruction, as undecidability undermines our ability to justify our judgments and our actions. The more emphatic our action, the more undecidability tugs at our will to act decisively. Toleration is a virtue particularly appropriate for deconstruction because toleration judges but does not act. In contrast, Kearney’s diacritical hermeneutics, which supplements undecidability with a critical hermeneutics of judgment, allows us to proceed from judgment to action without succumbing to Hamlet’s irresoluteness or Meursault’s indifference. Such hermeneutic discernment helps us to move beyond tolerance to acceptance or praise (when appropriate) or to intolerance (when necessary).