Chapter 1: Holland's Unique Tolerance

In this section, Dr. McCloskey concludes her examination of the Dutch adoption of bourgeois values by highlighting its influence on their notable level of tolerance. To illustrate her point about their relative tolerance, she presents a significant historical fact: the Dutch ceased the execution of heretics and witches in the 1590s, which was quite early compared to other European nations. The last recorded witch burning in the Netherlands occurred in 1595 in Utrecht, while many other parts of Europe, including Massachusetts, continued such practices for another century. Between 1400 and 1800, approximately forty thousand individuals were executed for witchcraft across Europe (p. 345).

As she elaborates on the Dutch's high degree of tolerance, it is essential to remember this context. Despite some shortcomings, McCloskey claims that the Dutch implemented remarkably tolerant policies. For example, the Union of Utrecht, signed in 1579, laid the foundation for the Dutch Republic and included a commitment to religious freedom, stating that individuals should not be "investigated or persecuted" based on their faith (p. 345).

While McCloskey acknowledges that the Dutch may not have fully realized this ideal, it was nonetheless a significant aspiration. The treatment of Jewish populations, for instance, was left to the discretion of individual cities, but by 1657, Dutch Jews were recognized as full citizens of the Republic (p. 346).

She also notes that Hungary's Transylvania region enacted toleration before the Dutch, based on the principle that "faith is a gift from God" (p. 346), a notion stemming from their diverse noble class. France attempted similar reforms in 1598 with the Edict of Nantes, aiming to quell the conflicts between Protestants and Catholics. However, this effort was short-lived, as the Edict was repealed in 1685, effectively ending Protestant toleration (p. 346).

Poland, influenced by Erasmus like the Dutch, also declared religious liberty in 1573, yet by 1611, a new king mandated Catholicism as the state religion, cementing this policy by 1632 (p. 347). Conversely, religious tolerance in the Netherlands persisted, albeit in a relative sense.

It is crucial to clarify that while the Netherlands in 1620 was not as tolerant as it is today, it was more so than many of its European contemporaries. The first significant bourgeois society was indeed virtuous when compared to an otherwise intolerant Europe (p. 355).

Conclusion

How did the Netherlands evolve into the libertine Amsterdam we associate with it today? McCloskey observes that even the Dutch are surprised by this transformation. Although religious tolerance was established early on, much of Dutch society adhered to the Dutch Reformed Church until the 1960s (p. 348).

The post-1960s anticlerical movement was remarkably effective in the Netherlands, leading to a dramatic shift from a religiously stratified society to a more liberated and diverse culture, a change that astonishes even the Dutch themselves (p. 349). Despite claims of a lack of tolerance, McCloskey argues that such comparisons may be misguided.

As was true in the seventeenth century, the Dutch might not fully appreciate how comparatively intolerant other societies remain (p. 349). In her conclusion, McCloskey challenges the notion that the Dutch adopted their more tolerant perspective solely out of prudence. While historical events did foster the rise of the bourgeois class in Holland, her argument maintains that motivations extend beyond mere self-interest.

While prudence certainly influences human behavior, it does not encapsulate the entirety of human motivation. Contrary to the views of some contemporary economists, motivations rooted in virtues such as temperance, justice, courage, faith, hope, and love should not be dismissed as trivial (p. 352).

Reference: McCloskey, Deirdre Nansen, 2016. "For Instance, Holland was Tolerant, and not for Prudence Only," Chapter 37 of Bourgeois Equality, The University of Chicago Press.

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