I) To learn about moral psychology and the causes of moral conflict and self-righteousness:
Online resources:
- Read summaries of the talks given at the conference on "Beyond Moralistic Politics," which launched this project and website.
- Read this short review of the current state of research in moral psychology, by Jonathan Haidt.
- Read this review article on ideology, by John Jost.
- Read this paper on the "bias blind spot" -- our inabllity to see our own biases, by Emily Pronin, Tom Gilovich, and Lee Ross
- Read Ch. 4 of "The Happiness Hypothesis," on hypocrisy and the "myth of pure evil."
Books:
- Thomas Sowell, A conflict of visions: The ideological origins of political struggles. (Written by a conservative author, on how different visions of human nature underlie the worldviews and political beliefs of liberals and conservatives
- George Lakoff: Moral Politics: How liberals and conservatives think. (Written by a liberal author, describes the foundational metaphors and cognitive frames that underlie and guide political thought)
II) To learn about the rise in partisan rancor since the 1980s and its causes:
- Read this paper which reviews the evidence on what really caused the polarization of political elites in the USA in recent decades. Hetherington, M. (in press) Putting Polarisation in Perspective. British Journal of Political Science.
- Read this article: Reconcilable Differences, by Ronald Brownstein, in The Atlantic, September 2008.
From the article: "Hyper-partisanship” is how the Republican strategist Ken Mehlman aptly describes the current political environment. Its price is a paralyzing inability to confront the most difficult problems facing the nation: health care, global warming, energy independence, immigration, entitlement reform, and the path forward in Iraq. On these controversial issues, meaningful progress is virtually impossible without bipartisan support. Indeed, the three most ambitious domestic-policy initiatives of the past 15 years—Clinton’s attempt to provide universal health care, in 1993; Newt Gingrich’s effort to remake the federal budget, in 1995; and Bush’s drive to redesign Social Security around private investment accounts, in 2005—all failed for the same reason: in each case, the authors were unable to attract any meaningful support for their ideas outside their own coalition, in the country or in Congress.
III) To learn about civility and its importance for democracy:
Online Resources
- Read the report of this exepriment, demonstrating that exposure to uncivil news/talk programs decreases viewers' trust in government and polticians, and harms the democratic process. (Mutz, C., & Reeves, B. (2005). The new videomalaise: Effects of televised inciviliyt on political trust. American Political Science Review, 99). [link to come]
- See the "library" of readings at The Village Square.
- [more is needed here; suggestions welcome]
Books:
IV) To help liberals understand (and be civil to) conservatives:
Online Resources:
- Read this essay: What Makes People Vote Republican, by Jonathan Haidt, on Edge.org.
- Read this paper on the psychological foundations of morality and ideology, by Jon Haidt and Jesse Graham.
- Read Ch. 9 of The Happiness Hypothesis, on the psychological dimension of divinity, which tries to explain what many religious people find objectionable about a purely secular culture.
- Read this article on the lack of ideological diversity in psychology, and why the exclusion of conservatives harms the scientific and pro-social missions of psychology: Redding, R.E. (2001). Sociopolitical diversity in psychology: The
case for pluralism. American Psychologist, 56, 205-215. [link to come]
Books:
- James Ault, Spirit and Flesh. (On the moral world of a "religious right" community, interpreted by a sympathetic liberal sociologist).
- Russell Kirk, The Conservative Mind: From Burke to Eliot. (One of the founding works of modern conservative thought).
V) To help conservatives understand (and be civil to) liberals:
Online resources
- Anthony Appiah, "The Seven Habits of Truly Liberal People." (A review in Slate magazine of Alan Wolfe's Future of Liberalism, which briefly summarizes what it means to be a liberal in 2009, while looking back to the long history of liberalism and its many meanings over the years.)
- [we need more here: what essays can transmit the essential insights and compassion of liberalism in a way that conservatives will "get" and not be turned off by? Please send suggestions to haidt at virginia.edu]
Books
- Anthony Appiah, Cosmopolitanism: Ethics in a world of strangers. (On how diverse modern societies can keep some of the richness of traditional ways and identities while avoiding the ugliness of identity politics.)
- Alan Wolfe, The Future of LIberalism. (On the history and future of liberalism, particularly its passionate commitment to two ideals: liberty and equality)
VI) Resources for teachers and public speakers who want to promote civil politics:
VII) Miscellaneous resources and essays:
- Rod Dreher (2007), Playing the anti-science card [This is a good essay to help scientists overcome self-righteousness and see that even in scientific debates, moralism often plays a blinding role.]
- Robert Maranto (2009). Do gay rights trump religion? Hartford Courant. [This is a good example of an op-ed piece on an explosive topic that acknowledges legitimate concerns on both sides]
Do you have a suggestion for an essay or other resource on the Web that can promote understanding and civil politics? Please email it to haidt at virginia.edu.
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