The Righteous Mind: Why Good People are Divided by Politics and Religion

"The Righteous Mind: Why Good People are Divided by Politics and Religion" is a book by Jonathan Haidt. It is highly relevant to the way we conduct political discourse.

Emotions, Reason and the Moral Matrix

According to Jonathan Haidt, emotions come first, and they heavily influence our logical reasoning. He argues that our moral intuitions, which are often based on emotions, are the foundation of our moral judgments, not the other way around.

Intuitions are the foundation. He uses the metaphor of a "rider" (reason) on an "elephant" (emotions). The elephant, representing emotions and intuitions, is much larger and stronger than the rider. The rider can sometimes steer the elephant, but often, the elephant takes the lead, pulling the rider along with it.

Haidt proposes that our moral judgments are shaped by six fundamental moral intuitions, constituting our moral matrix:

• Care/Harm
• Fairness/Cheating
• Loyalty/Betrayal
• Authority/Subversion
• Sanctity/Degradation
• Liberty/Oppression

These intuitions are often triggered by emotions before we consciously engage in logical reasoning. He argues that people often arrive at their moral judgments quickly and intuitively, and then use reason to justify those judgments after the fact. This is known as the "intuitionist" approach to moral reasoning. Think about a situation where someone is being treated unfairly. You might immediately feel anger or indignation, which leads you to believe that the situation is wrong. Then, you might use reason to justify your feelings, citing principles of fairness or equality.

Haidt's theory suggests that our moral judgments are often guided by our emotions, which can sometimes lead to biased or irrational decisions. However, he also argues that acknowledging the role of emotions in moral reasoning can help us to better understand and navigate moral conflicts.