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

Why can it sometimes feel as though half the population is living in a different moral universe? Why do ideas such as 'fairness' and 'freedom' mean such different things to different people? And why do political views which conflict with our own often seem illogical? Social psychologist Jonathan Haidt reveals how the conflict, self-righteousness and hypocrisy that can make it so hard for us to get along are actually the natural expression of our moral minds. Drawing on twenty-five years of groundbreaking research, Haidt shows how moral judgments arise not from reason but from intuition, and why we evolved to be this way. Morality binds and blinds, but this book will help you to see and understand your friends, enemies and fellow citizens as never before. 'If you want to know why you hold your moral beliefs and why many people disagree with you, read this book.' Simon Baron-Cohen, author of The Essential Difference 'A truly seminal book.' David Goodhart, Prospect 'A tour de force - brave, brilliant, and eloquent. It will challenge the way you think about liberals and conservatives, atheism and religion, good and evil.' Paul Bloom, author of How Pleasure Works 'Compelling . . . a fluid combination of erudition and entertainment.' Ian Birrell, Observer 'Lucid and thought-provoking . . . deserves to be widely read.' Jenni Russell, Sunday Times