The Righteous Mind

Outline

The Righteous Mind (2012) explores why good people are divided by politics and religion. Social psychologist Jonathan Haidt argues that moral judgements come mainly from intuition, with reasoning following afterward, and describes several moral foundations, including care, fairness, loyalty, authority, and sanctity, that different groups emphasise in different ways. The book encourages readers to understand opposing views with greater empathy.

• Haidt argues that moral judgements come mainly from intuition, with reasoning arriving afterward to explain what we already feel.
• The book describes several moral foundations, including care, fairness, loyalty, authority, and sanctity.
• Different groups give different weight to these foundations, which helps explain why good people end up divided over politics and religion.
• Understanding the intuitions behind an opposing view makes it easier to approach people who disagree with you with empathy.

Jonathan Haidt is an American social psychologist and professor at New York University’s Stern School of Business. He studies morality, emotion, and culture, and his other books include The Happiness Hypothesis, The Coddling of the American Mind, and The Anxious Generation.