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The Two Moralities: Conservatives, Liberals, and the Roots of Our Political Divide

Online ISBN:
9780300271508
Print ISBN:
9780300244083
Publisher:
Yale University Press
Book

The Two Moralities: Conservatives, Liberals, and the Roots of Our Political Divide

Ronnie Janoff-Bulman
Ronnie Janoff-Bulman
University of Massachusetts, Amherst
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Published online:
21 September 2023
Published in print:
18 April 2023
Online ISBN:
9780300271508
Print ISBN:
9780300244083
Publisher:
Yale University Press

Abstract

The left and right will always have strong policy disagreements, but constructive debate and negotiation are not possible when each side demonizes the other. We need to move past our poisonous politics. This book provides a new framework for understanding why and how we disagree. The book asks readers to consider the challenging possibility that both liberalism and conservatism are morally based and reflect genuine concern for the country. Moral psychology is an invaluable lens for understanding the roots of political differences. The book presents a “Model of Moral Motives” that maps the most fundamental motivations recognized by psychology—approach and avoidance—onto these differences. Liberal morality focuses on providing for the group's well-being and ensuring social justice. Conservative morality focuses on protecting the group from threats and preserving order. These moralities can account for the psychological differences between liberals and conservatives and for why certain positions resonate on each side of the political spectrum. Why, for example, do conservatives oppose abortion and favor unfettered free markets while liberals favor a woman's right to choose and economic regulation? Understanding that our political differences are rooted in two natural forms of morality can help us begin to detoxify our politics.

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