寬容是基於平等的原則，對於他人的尊重。寬容不同於忍耐、寬恕、與縱容。人 類歷史上最普遍的現象是在宗教上的不寬容；其他種族、社會、政治上的不寬容也多能朔源 至他們在信仰上的差異。不寬容的原因在於族群間意義結構的差異，以及懶惰、無知及自私 自利。其不寬容的人性根源則在於對「生命有限」的恐懼；而能克服這種恐懼的力量唯有「 愛」。「兼愛」是超越時空、親疏關係、地位高低的平等之愛，兼愛的方法在於「視人若己 ，愛人如己」，其最終的根據在於「天志」。寬容以超越一己之私愛為基礎，以平等為原則 ，其最終根據也是超越的。是故，墨子的「兼愛」與西方的「寬容」思想相輔相成，寬容是 兼愛的表現，而兼愛是寬容的動力。

　　　　　Tolerance is based on the principle of equality, and respect for the others. It is different from patience, forgiveness, and indulgence. The most common phenomenon of intolerance in the history of man is shown in religious intolerance; the source of racial, communal and political intolerance can be traced to differences in beliefs. The causes of intolerance are, differences of meaning structure, ignorance, sloth and selfishness. From the anthropological point of view, the source of intolerance is fear of "the limitation of life," and, the power which can help to overcome such fear, is love. Universal love is the indiscriminating love that transcends time and space, familial relationships, and social positions and the way to practice it is to "see the other as oneself, and to love the other as oneself," and its ultimate foundation is "the will of Heaven." Tolerance is based on the self-transcendence and the principle of equality, and is also based finally on a transcendent ground. Thus the "universal love" of MoZi and the western "Spirit of Tolerance" complement each other; tolerance being the expression of universal love and universal love the motivation of tolerance.