The Righteous Mind
Also known as The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion
Jonathan Haidt's 2012 book on morality, intuition, and why politics and religion divide good people.
At a glance
Key ideas
The rider and the elephant, Six foundations, Left and right …
See all 4Criticism
Chris Hedges
Connections
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- Haidt argues that moral beliefs come mainly from intuition, with reasoning mostly justifying them afterwards.
- He sets out moral foundations theory: morality rests on several foundations, not only harm and fairness.
- Liberals and conservatives, he argues, rely on different foundations.
- He also argues that humans can be "groupish" as well as selfish.
Why it matters
- William Saletan called it "a landmark contribution to humanity's understanding of itself"; it reached sixth on The New York Times nonfiction list in April 2012.
Key facts
- Author
- Jonathan Haidt1
- Published
- 2012, by Pantheon in New York and Allen Lane in London1
- Best-seller
- Sixth on The New York Times nonfiction list, April 20121
Key ideas
-
The rider and the elephant1
The intuitive mind decides, and the reasoning mind explains decisions it did not make.
-
Six foundations1
Care/harm, fairness/cheating, loyalty/betrayal, authority/subversion, sanctity/degradation and liberty/oppression.
-
Left and right1
Democrats and Republicans weigh different foundations, which worsens how they argue.
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The hive switch1
Rituals such as dancing and singing together turn a selfish "chimp" into a groupish "bee".
Criticism
-
Chris Hedges1
Wrote that it reduces social and political complexity to clichés and sanctifies obedience.
Connections
Written by
Links
Sources
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