SCIENTIFIC APPROACHES TO THE UNDERSTANDING OF THE TERM «TOLERANCE»

Abstract

This article deals with the problem of tolerance in the multicultural society. The aim of the study is to analyze the main scientific approaches to the understanding of term «tolerance» and to prove the great importance of tolerance in successful intercultural cooperation. Theoretical research methods (analysis, systematization, theoretical generalization) have been used as well as pedagogical and historic methods. It is underlined that there are many multicultural countries in the world and Ukraine is one of them. On the territory of the country here live representatives of many nations, different cultures. The most modern response to the cultural diversity is tolerance, especially interethnic tolerance. It means the availability and recognition of free existence and development of different ethnic cultures, being a part of a single national community. The aim of democratic state policy is to create an open society in Ukraine, in which the representatives of all groups (social, cultural, ethnic, religious) have possibilities of self-development, self-actualization with the preservation of unique cultural origin. In this way it’s possible to solve the problems of cultural and social diversity in the country. In this article the based concept and the different scientific approaches to the understanding of term «tolerance» are discussed (philosophical, sociological, psychological, pedagogical). The definition of tolerance as a scientific category is proposed, and the most known kinds of tolerance are named (aged, gender, race, political, educational, geographical, religious, interethnic tolerance). Special attention is paid to the analysis of interethnic tolerance (very often the term «intercultural tolerance» is used too). Its importance is declared in many state documents of Ukraine, as well as in the Declaration of Principles of Tolerance.