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The battle between social intuition and reason: Why are we so insistent on our political views?
In today's society, political and religious divisions are becoming increasingly apparent, both in everyday conversations and on social media, and there is no doubt that these topics deeply influence people's behavior and beliefs. Psychologist Jonathan Haidt explores this phenomenon in his book The Righteous Heart: Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion, proposing several thought-provoking theories that attempt to explain how human morality is shaped. and influence our persistence in political views.
People's beliefs mainly come from their intuition, and rational thinking is often done to prove those intuitively obvious beliefs.
Hait's theory first articulated social intuitionism, a theory that holds that in human decision-making processes, intuitive reactions are often the first reaction, and reason is usually used later to support these reactions. He cited the famous philosopher David Hume's view that reason has an undervalued role in moral cognition, a view that even contrasts with many contemporary theories of moral development.
Next, Haidt proposed the moral foundation theory. His view is that humans use a variety of different moral foundations when establishing moral values, not just based on the two concepts of harm and fairness. He likens these moral foundations to different taste receptors on the tip of the tongue, including care/harm, fairness/cheating, loyalty/betrayal, authority/subversion, sanctity/degradation, and freedom/oppression.
Morality has at least six foundations, and probably many others, and religion and politics are an expression of our tribal, group, righteous nature.
Through such a framework, Haidt analyzes the political environment in the United States and shows that there are significant differences in moral foundations between Republicans and Democrats, which further intensifies political confrontation. He advocated that the two factions should be more tolerant and understand each other's positions during discussions in order to find common ground.
In the final part of the book, Haidt introduces the concept of a hypothetical "hive switch," which describes how human sociality changes from selfish "apes" to swarming "bees." He noted that many cultures use dancing, singing, and other group activities to develop people's sense of group identity.
Cultural and social organizations have a variety of techniques that enable people to identify with their groups, including dance, movement, and chorus.
Hait's works have aroused enthusiastic responses in both academic circles and society. It was not only rated as a best-selling non-fiction book by the New York Times, but also praised by many well-known critics as a landmark contribution to human self-understanding. However, some have expressed concerns about some of its views and accused it of potentially invoking social Darwinist explanations. Like it or not, this book certainly contributes to a deeper discussion of ethics and politics.
Ultimately, Haidt calls for people to re-examine their belief systems and strive to transcend political and religious differences. On this issue, can we face different viewpoints with a more open mind, thereby promoting greater social consensus?
