The Righteous Mind: Why Good People are Divided by Politics and Religion by Jonathan Haidt
Are
you a person of the left wondering why conservatives are so cruel? are
you a person of the right wondering why liberals are so blind? are
somewhere in the middle wondering why we can’t all just get along? are
you someone who doesn’t care wondering why there are all these political
commercials on your TV? In any of these cases this book is for you.
Haidt
drills down to the fundamental inclinations that are behind our feelings and convictions of what is right and wrong. He examines the
differences in our values, how they come about and how they shape our
perceptions of politics. He looks at how culture influences moral
beliefs and how moral beliefs shape actions that impact the overall
outcomes for societies, and how politics reflects this. Using his own
research and that of others from a broad array of disciplines, he
displays penetrating insight into how we shape morals and how morals
shape us. There are some of his conclusions that I don’t necessarily
agree with but he brings in new information to the conversation that
point to fruitful areas of research and important things to think about.
This
book is an easy and engaging read. It is well organized with a
narrative that pulls you through the information. The evidence the ideas are
based on is clearly explained. Haidt teaches powerful tools for either
side to reach across the political divide to convince or to cooperate.
The ideas in this book are important to understand if we are going to
understand and work with each other. America needs to grasp these ideas
if we are act coherently to influence our own future and communicate
clearly with the rest of the world. I would recommend this book to
everyone.
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