Monday, October 06, 2008

Edge: WHAT MAKES PEOPLE VOTE REPUBLICAN? By Jonathan Haidt

Edge: WHAT MAKES PEOPLE VOTE REPUBLICAN? By Jonathan Haidt

Really fascinating read!

[...]the second rule of moral psychology is that morality is not just about how we treat each other (as most liberals think); it is also about binding groups together, supporting essential institutions, and living in a sanctified and noble way.

When Republicans say that Democrats "just don't get it," this is the "it" to which they refer. Conservative positions on gays, guns, god, and immigration must be understood as means to achieve one kind of morally ordered society. When Democrats try to explain away these positions using pop psychology they err, they alienate, and they earn the label "elitist." But how can Democrats learn to see—let alone respect—a moral order they regard as narrow-minded, racist, and dumb?


Even better, is Sam Harris' response

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