Православна хришћанска онтологија и проблем толеранције међу људима

Abstract

The problem of intolerance is not as much social as it is ontological. Raising a rational element in man as a key one in determining the truth and existence, places man’s mind as the only criterion for truth and brings into question all that disagrees with his personal (subjective) views and experiences. In conjunction with freedom, which characterizes man as a being, such ontology becomes the source of distrust and intolerance to all that is different. We need the other, in the best case, to meet our needs and passions, which certainly no man accepts; therefore, there emerges resistance and struggle for dominance. To overcome the problem, it is not sufficient to reduce social differences among people, nor can it be achieved by education, if it is to develop self-conscious in people, or by enacting laws on the protection of human rights. To solve the problem to some extent, we need a new metaphysical principle of existence i.e. we need new ontology. In this essay the author presents his view of the problem of intolerance and pleads for solving it by reminding us of Orthodox Christian ontology based on the following attitudes: man expresses his freedom as love for the other; freedom of personality is a source of existence for another personality; the other is a source of our existence and not our »hell« or limitation of our freedom.