The Righteous Mind addresses these questions-and more besides-but the book also functions as a kind of “state of the union” of moral psychology, as well as a presentation of the groundbreaking research of Haidt and his partners. “To better grasp the elusiveness of morality and religion, we need the empirical contribution of the psychological sciences.” What makes human beings moral? What is the relation between emotion, intuition, and morality? Are moral values products of reason (rational reflection) or of experimentation and socialization? Is morality innate, biological, and genetic, or socially constructed (or something in between)? Are there any moral principles, values, or intuitions that hold steady across cultures (i.e. Emotion, Intuition, and Morality: New Cognitive Tools for Creating Empathy I suspect that those who take the time to work through Haidt’s book, The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion, will come away feeling a little more positive about the prospects of discussing our differences and-at the very least-gaining understanding of the values and concerns of those on opposite ends of the religious and political spectrum. He believes that moral psychology can contribute to our capacity to understand one another, to empathize, and to improve at working together for the good of the whole. Good people are deeply divided by politics and religion-but why? Never talk about politics and religion in polite company, they say.
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