Jonathan Haidt’s TED Talk

January 31, 2012

In this March, 2008 speech at the TED conference, psychologist Jonathan Haidt discusses the five moral values that form the basis of our political choices, and pinpoints the moral values that liberals and conservatives tend to honor most.

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http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=590801428 Shannon Stoney
I think this is really naive. Even Asian religions have a hidden agenda: to prevent social change from below. It’s possible to have a passion for order that includes justice for everybody and equality. This is not a right-wing monopoly.
Tbertram
Your discussion with Haidt argues strongly that your previous decision to retired was well-taken and timely (or, perhaps, essential). You should have stuck with it because the show currently playing in the background as I write is destroying your prior standing and makes my skin crawl. Goodbye, you sad old man.
This droning and manipulated crap doesn’t mean anything. He doesn’t deal with 90 % of Right Wing Hate Politics as it has blossomed in the prior administration or the corruption of the Bush era deregulations and gutting of the essential oversight role of government. It is hopelessly narrow in its view of human interaction.
Go into seclusion and reread the Masks of God (ALL FOUR VOLUMES).
Scott
@e183b0b9154258b8b55a8439fb258ccf:disqus
Your comments (“sad old man”) is a great example of the demonizing that Haidt is attempting to show is toxic for both Conservatives and Progressives. Looking for the good is always a unifying default position.
skot4trust
http://www.facebook.com/people/Josh-Howell/1365984854 Josh Howell
Ad hominems won’t prove your point.
Also it seems you’re seeking something that proves your side of things rather than seeing what is at the core of the message presented. Which was to foster an understanding of your own position and how it relates, influences and changes when introduced to different tiers of society. It also touches on their origins and the useful and harmful purposes that are inherit to everyone’s unique part they play out in our societies.
It’s not out to balance the arguments between political camps, it’s not out so satiate your anger over what the opposing political party has used against your “sacred”.
It’s less political and more human nature.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Josh-Howell/1365984854 Josh Howell
Asians are human beings like everyone else; it’s natural for institutions they create to have hidden agendas as they are flawed like everyone else.
However I think what he’s getting at is the broad idea that the Asian religions discovered a human behavior and outlined it where the Western religions skirted around it. Chiefly the Asian religions noticed that humans battle with right and wrong and always find themselves virtuous. Therefore we’re all the same only the perspective changes as to what side you choose to be on of an issue. But there’s a third option, the first option is to be on the left, the second option to be on the right and the third to be on neither side; separated from sides altogether.
Western religions typically deepened and widened the margin on the idea of only two sides to an argument. You either accept the religious teachings of what is right and wrong or you’re out of the club and are considered something not altogether “holy”, “pure” or even “human”. The idea that we’re all a vital part of how the world works despite our being on opposite sides of an issue is new to the West, and not understood or accepted widely yet that I know of.
modernseneca
This is very interesting. So, what is my conclusion. It seems that no one can ever agree on anything because when we come together about anything we then become blind to everyone else’s moral position and the truth of their position. Therefore we are destined to a continual cycle of alternate truths, political and social; conservative to liberial to conservative into infinity?
http://www.facebook.com/people/Josh-Howell/1365984854 Josh Howell
Truth is always changing to fit what’s actually happening as new information becomes known; in my mind it makes sense to go from one side to the other as needs arise. I think we run into problems when we lose the ability to shift, change and adapt. Communication stops and everything becomes stagnant.
Going beyond that I feel would require something beyond the scope of human relevance. Something like an idea that cosmically there is no good and evil. That right wrong and whatever are just biased points of view of a whole and everything is essentially the same. Not just in a karmatic “balancing” sort of way, but good is evil and evil is good completely without division. Though anything like that isn’t socially viable in a community of individuals I don’t think.
But if that were the case, being liberal or conservative would be a slight spectrum shift of the same ideology and behaviors.
“We have met the enemy, and he is us.” Sort of a thing.
Richsottilaro
My comment is Mr. Haidt is a nut! First of all the tea party is comprised of a small amount of right wing religious nuts! Second the class warfare was waged by the greedy top 1%. The other 99% had nothing to do with the current destruction of our economy. Third more damage has been done by the white people of this country (ie. slavery) thenby the people of other colors. Fourth the congress takes an oath to the constitution not Grover Norquist. Who the hell is this guy anyway and why does he matter Mr. Haigt!! It’s immoral to take an oath of a person not the constitution we the people by the people for the people Mr. Haidt not we the people of Grover Norquist. Fifth the right wing is so far to the right that as you know all too well that nothing is getting done duhh!! Name one piece of legislation put forth by the House on jobs since they got power back 2 years ago??? Mr. Haidt it’s 0. Not one bill about jobs. Sixth what party was in control for 8 years prior to the black guy winning office. The republicans! Who ran up the debt with huge tax breaks for the rich, 2 wars unpaid for( by the Chineese)!! This is the party of destruction not problem solving. The divide in the country is from the right wing and big business and wall st. Not one of these people are in jail when in fact most should be Mr. Haidt your psychology is warped. Remember one important fact Mr. Haidt. A country is not measured by it’ s wealth or it’s military might but how is treats it’s people Mr. Haidt. So I am at odds with your reasoning of how someone on food stamps or welfare is less of a person than a greedy pig on Wall St.
I can assume your a republican but I won’t make that presumption. on you. Lastly you can look to the north of American where we have a model nation as a shinning example of how a country should treat it’s people. While not perfect Canada comes much closer than the USA by a long shot. Try reasoning that the US is falling way behind in just the basics when it come to health care. The US is ranking with ex-soviet eastern block countries like Czechoslovakia and Romania. That is not something to be proud of but embarrassed by. The rest of the advanced industrialized world laughs at how we treat each other. So what the right wing religious nut bags have done to this country over the last 35 years is a national disgrace not some logical psychological observation by someone like you with a PH D. in what I don’t know. I love this country and what has happened to my fellow Americans over that time is outrageous Mr. Haidt! Again perpetrated by greedy banks and big business, Wall St and especially this dysfunctional do nothing narcissistic congress!
Rich Sottilaro
Beverly Peterson
Bill Moyers’ interview with Jonathan Haidt was elucidating, and made me question my own political attitudes. I hope to read Haidt’s book, “The Righteous Mind …” and have meanwhile printed out the transcript of the Feb. 3 interview.