The first part of the book goes to some lengths to establish that we are not as rational as we might imagine. In much the same vein as The Art of Thinking Clearly, he shows that cognitive biases mean that our rationality is truly at the mercy of our intuitions. He likens the relationship between the conscious, rational mind to a small rider on an powerful elephant. The rational mind believes it is the one making decisions, but in fact it is coming up with rationalizations for the intuitions. What are these intuitions? It really depends on who you are. Liberals tend to have a relatively narrow definition of morality which emphasizes Care and Fairness. They don't have strong feelings about Loyalty, are suspicious of Authority and only value Purity when it comes to food and the environment. Conservatives also value Care and Fairness, but they also place a strong emphasis on Loyalty as well. For Conservatives, people who are unpatriotic are not good people. Conservatives also value Authority. You won't find them engaged in acts of civil disobedience as they tend to follow the rules and pay their debts. Finally, they have a very clear ideal of the sacred. Actions that bring you closer to your ideal self are not just "healthy" they are morally good. Actions that move you further away from your ideal are bad. This difference explains why a liberal will see nothing wrong with smoking a little weed, but for a conservative this may be seen as immoral. It is a fascinating book and Jonathan Haidt is an excellent writer. Watch the video below and if you like it, let me know. I would be happy to pass along my copy of the book.
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