All but one of the chapters in this volume were first presented at the annual C. and J.B. Morrell Conferences on Toleration at the University of York. Since 1981 the Morrell Trust has sponsored a wide programme of research at the University of York into the philosophical and practical problems of toleration. This has included the funding of an annual Memorial Address and conference, five graduate studentships, a fellowship, and a programme of staff seminars. During the academic years 1985–7 I held the post of Morrell Fellow in Toleration at York, and I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to the Trustees, both for their generosity and for their sustained interest.

The paper which was not delivered at one of the annual conferences is the one by David Edwards. His paper on Mill was presented to the York Political Theory Workshop and is included here because it seemed wholly appropriate that a volume on toleration should include at least one piece on John Stuart Mill.

In editing this volume, I have been greatly assisted both by the patience and understanding of the contributors, and by the encouragement of my colleagues at the University of York. In particular, my thanks go to John Horton for his characteristically generous assistance.

I am grateful to the Cambridge University Press reader for helpful and constructive comments on an earlier draft of the Introduction.