In *Regulating Aversion: Tolerance in the Age of Identity and Empire*, Wendy Brown presents a critical analysis of contemporary discourses on tolerance through the lens of Michel Foucault's concepts. She argues that tolerance is deeply entangled with power, reproducing hierarchical and power relations, and that it cannot exist without intolerance and exclusion. Brown's four main hypotheses include: 1. **Tolerance as a Form of Power**: She views tolerance as a historically and culturally specific discourse of power with strong rhetorical functions. 2. **Tolerance and Liberalism**: She suggests that problems with tolerance are symptoms of broader issues with liberalism, both political and economic. 3. **Tolerance and Civilization**: She argues that tolerance is part of a broader discourse of civilization, often framed in terms of Western imperialism. 4. **Despoliticization**: She critiques how tolerance becomes a neutral stance, hiding the underlying power dynamics and reifying identities as natural rather than constructed. Brown examines how tolerance has been problematized and practiced, particularly in response to differences, especially ethnic and religious ones. She notes the shift from equality to tolerance on the left, where multiculturalism and tolerance have become the new slogans, often without addressing deep social and economic inequalities. However, the book faces two main criticisms: 1. **Monolithic Critique**: Brown treats tolerance as a monolithic concept, failing to account for its diverse expressions and contexts. 2. **Lack of Alternative**: While she acknowledges the potential for positive change, her critique lacks a clear alternative to the problematic aspects of tolerance. Despite these limitations, Brown's work offers a insightful critique of contemporary discourses on tolerance, highlighting the need to uncover and address the underlying power dynamics.In *Regulating Aversion: Tolerance in the Age of Identity and Empire*, Wendy Brown presents a critical analysis of contemporary discourses on tolerance through the lens of Michel Foucault's concepts. She argues that tolerance is deeply entangled with power, reproducing hierarchical and power relations, and that it cannot exist without intolerance and exclusion. Brown's four main hypotheses include: 1. **Tolerance as a Form of Power**: She views tolerance as a historically and culturally specific discourse of power with strong rhetorical functions. 2. **Tolerance and Liberalism**: She suggests that problems with tolerance are symptoms of broader issues with liberalism, both political and economic. 3. **Tolerance and Civilization**: She argues that tolerance is part of a broader discourse of civilization, often framed in terms of Western imperialism. 4. **Despoliticization**: She critiques how tolerance becomes a neutral stance, hiding the underlying power dynamics and reifying identities as natural rather than constructed. Brown examines how tolerance has been problematized and practiced, particularly in response to differences, especially ethnic and religious ones. She notes the shift from equality to tolerance on the left, where multiculturalism and tolerance have become the new slogans, often without addressing deep social and economic inequalities. However, the book faces two main criticisms: 1. **Monolithic Critique**: Brown treats tolerance as a monolithic concept, failing to account for its diverse expressions and contexts. 2. **Lack of Alternative**: While she acknowledges the potential for positive change, her critique lacks a clear alternative to the problematic aspects of tolerance. Despite these limitations, Brown's work offers a insightful critique of contemporary discourses on tolerance, highlighting the need to uncover and address the underlying power dynamics.