The views of contemporary Russian and foreign philosophers, sociologists and political scientists on the nature and content of the category of «tolerance» are analyzed in this article. Moreover the article assesses the degree of the resourse base of the problem, as well as points out the issues that form the subject of scientific discussion.

1. Akulich M. M. Tolerance. Consent. The order // The social order and tolerance: abstracts compilation of the III All-Russian Conference, May 30–31, 2002. In 2 parts. – Krasnodar, 2002. – P. 1. – P. 5–10.

2. Amelin V. V. Ethnic tolerance in multi-confessional and multi-national border region of Russia: status, problems of increase // Civil society in multi-national and multi –confessional regions: materials of the conference: Kazan, June 2–3, 2004. – M., 2005. – P. 58–75.

3. Great Encyclopedic Dictionary : in 2 vol. – M., 1991. – Vol. 2. – 768 p.

4. Dahl R. On Democracy / trans. from English. – M., 2000. – 205 p.

5. Denisovskiy G. M. Political tolerance in the Russian society during reforms in the second half of 1990 / G. M. Denisovskiy, P. M. Kozyreva. – M., 2002. – 112 p.

6. Dzyaloshinskiy I. On some reasons of intolerant behavior // Russian press in a multicultural society: tolerance and multiculturalism as guidelines for professional conduct. – M., 2002. – P. 31–47.

7. Kemerov V. E. Tolerance and polisubject sociality // Tolerance in modern civilization: materials of the intern. conference. Yekaterinburg, May 14–19, 2001. – Yekaterinburg, 2001. – P. 70–77.

8. Kropotov S. L. Problems of multiculture of the Russian civilization // Tolerance in modern civilization: materials of the intern. conference. Yekaterinburg, May 14–19, 2001. – Yekaterinburg, 2001. – P. 270–280.

9. Lazutina G. Tolerance as a stipulation of optimal public self-regulaion // We are the fellow citizen (Media and Society). Vol. 2. – M., 2002. – P. 224–228.

10. Pertsev A. V. Mental tolerance // Tolerance in modern civilization: materials of the intern. conference. Yekaterinburg, May 14–19, 2001. – Yekaterinburg, 2001. – P. 137–158.

11. Pertsev A. V. Reflections on mental tolerance (materials for the lectures) // Tolerance: Materials of the Summer School of Young Scientists «Russia – the West: the philosophical foundations of social and cultural tolerance». Yekaterinburg, Sept. 2000 : in 2 p. P. 2. – Yekaterinburg, 2001. – P. 150–272.

12. Rierdon Betty A. Tolerance – the road to peace / translated from English / A. Rierdon Betty. – M., 2001. – 304 p.

13. Sherer A. A. Tolerance as a strategy for relations between the different regulatory systems // Tolerance in modern civilization: materials of the intern. conference. Yekaterinburg, May 14–19, 2001. – Yekaterinburg, 2001. – P. 169–171.