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The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion Audiobook
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(4.00) - 2,365 listener ratings
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Why can’t our political leaders work together as threats loom and problems mount? Why do people so readily assume the worst about the motives of their fellow citizens? In The Righteous Mind, social psychologist Jonathan Haidt explores the origins of our divisions and points the way forward to mutual understanding. His starting point is moral intuition—the nearly instantaneous perceptions we all have about other people and the things they do. These intuitions feel like self-evident truths, making us righteously certain that those who see things differently are wrong. Haidt shows us how these intuitions differ across cultures, including the cultures of the political left and right. He blends his own research findings with those of anthropologists, historians, and other psychologists to draw a map of the moral domain, and he explains why conservatives can navigate that map more skillfully than can liberals. He then examines the origins of morality, overturning the view that evolution made us fundamentally selfish creatures. But rather than arguing that we are innately altruistic, he makes a more subtle claim—that we are fundamentally groupish. It is our groupishness, he explains, that leads to our greatest joys, our religious divisions, and our political affiliations. In a stunning final chapter on ideology and civility, Haidt shows what each side is right about, and why we need the insights of liberals, conservatives, and libertarians to flourish as a nation.
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"This was a very interesting book- particularly in light of my personal partisanship. However, there are lots of chapters devoted to background ideas and tenets of moral psychology. The most interesting chapters (which admittedly are fleshed out by the less juicy chapters) are 6-7-8 and 12..... There. Those chapters (and wonderful bumper sticker examples) I would rate 5.... !"
— Donna (4 out of 5 stars)
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“A landmark contribution to humanity’s understanding of itself…Haidt is looking for more than victory. He’s looking for wisdom. That’s what makes The Righteous Mind well worth reading.”
— New York Times Book Review -
“An eye-opening and deceptively ambitious best seller…undoubtedly one of the most talked-about books of the year.”
— Wall Street Journal -
“Splendidly written, sophisticated and stimulating. It may well change how you think and talk about politics, religion, and human nature.”
— NPR -
“Ingenious prose…Beautifully written, Haidt’s book shines a new and creative light on moral psychology and presents a provocative message.”
— Science -
“Haidt’s work feels particularly relevant now…Haidt’s perspective can help us better understand our own political and religious leanings.”
— San Francisco Chronicle -
“Highly readable, highly insightful…The principal posture in which one envisions him is that of a scrappy, voluble, discerning patriot standing between the warring factions in American politics urging each to see the other’s viewpoint, to stop demonizing, bashing, clobbering…Haidt’s real contribution, in my judgment, is inviting us all to sit at the table.”
— Washington Times -
“Excellent…An impressive book that should be read by anyone who has the slightest interest in how political opinions are reached.”
— Daily Beast
Awards
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A New York Times bestseller
The Righteous Mind Listener Reviews
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Ansric, 2/14/2023
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Michael Patrick, 7/15/2022
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David Foster, 6/4/2018
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" A very interesting book about the psychology of morality. It was a manageable read that is not too technical. You know his political bias, but he does a good job equally representing both sides. If you are confused about why people are so divided on politics and religion, you will enjoy reading this book. "
— Andrea, 1/29/2014 -
" Incredibly insightful and highly recommended. It really does give a new, at least to me, perspective on something that I've wondered about for a long time. "
— Alejandro, 1/26/2014 -
" Title is really boring, but the rest is really good. At moments goes beyond morality and brain science to evolutionary psychology. Good Stuff. "
— Nicolo, 1/25/2014 -
" Does a nice job explaining our uncivil political landscape. "
— Mary, 1/25/2014 -
" Very interesting. Written by a psyc. prof at the U. of Virginia. "
— Paul, 1/16/2014 -
" Haidt does a good job of explaining what his theories as well as how he arrived at his conclusions. It's both insightful and entertaining. "
— Conrad, 1/9/2014 -
" Excellent book on group behavior and morality. Recommended for anyone attempting to understand "the other side" politically or religiously. "
— Bob, 12/28/2013 -
" A theoritical study of politics and religion from a academic viewpoint. Not for the casual reader. "
— Fredrick, 12/23/2013 -
" fantastic book, but couldn't get it read fast enough before it was due. "
— Monica, 12/8/2013 -
" Particularly important is the chapter on group-selection and hive mentality. Very very good stuff, and really adds the complexity of "losing oneself" to previous evolutionary psychology. "
— Justin, 12/8/2013 -
" I enjoyed the book and what Professor Haidt had to say when I heard him speak. I found the book a bit dry and not really as the title promises - a look into politics and religion. "
— Maria, 11/29/2013 -
" Highly recommended. I started reading a copy from my public library, but I liked it so much I bought my own copy. It's changed my mind about how other people think. "
— Philip, 10/22/2013 -
" I felt this book did a great job at explaining why groups such as conservatives and liberals/religious and atheists can't ever seem to find common ground. It helped me better understand those groups different than the ones I identify with. "
— Kelly, 5/30/2013 -
" A great read that I will revisit. He explains, through many psychological studies, why people's political views differ so strongly and why religions provide value and needed stability to society. "
— Hawkgrrrl, 3/11/2013 -
" A bit of a slog to get through at times, but genuinely fascinating ideas and highly recommended for anyone out there who finds the other political camp utterly incomprehensible. "
— Dorrit, 2/18/2013 -
" I really enjoyed this book and found it especially timely. The author draws on many different fields of knowledge to explain his reasoning and (usually) makes sound and thorough arguments. "
— Amber, 12/4/2012 -
" Compelling, cutting edge cultural psychology presented in a highly accessible way; minus one star for an overly simplistic account of politics that remains gratuitously within the bounds of "acceptable discourse." "
— Dylan, 10/12/2012 -
" Very, very interesting. He uses evolutionary psychology, sociology and biology to build the case that there are six strands of moral values common to all humans and certain groups put more weight on one strand than another. "
— Mickey, 8/27/2012
About Jonathan Haidt
Jonathan Haidt is the author of several books, including the #1 New York Times bestseller, The Anxious Generation, which is a direct continuation of the themes explored in The Coddling of the American Mind (which was written with Greg Lukianoff). He is the Thomas Cooley Professor of Ethical Leadership at New York University’s Stern School of Business. He obtained his PhD in social psychology from the University of Pennsylvania in 1992 and taught at the University of Virginia for sixteen years. His research focuses on moral and political psychology, as described in his book The Righteous Mind. He writes the After Babel Substack.