I have been puzzled for quite some time about what separates us into political factions in this country and what to do about it. My partner found this book and suggested it to me. It is not a whimsical book. It is well researched and documented. I would suggest reading it in small segments and taking the time to digest what you have read. There are 376 pages of text and 114 pages of notes and references. I can’t do the entire book justice in one review, but I will provide you with some of the highlights.

Haidt sees human nature as “moralistic, critical, and critical.” We usually see ourselves coming to a conclusion in various ways and then developing feelings about our beliefs. He concludes from his research and that of others that we have this backwards. We first develop an opinion through intuition and experience and then we look for ways to justify what we feel / think.

It presents five moral foundations on which we base our perceptions of ourselves, others, and the world. First is the care / harm dimension in which we care for the vulnerable among us. Second is the fairness / trap with liberals most concerned about equality and conservatives most concerned about proportionality (getting what you deserve). Third, there is loyalty / betrayal, which involves cohesive coalitions and threats to your group. The fourth is authority / subversion or responsibility for order and justice. The fifth and last is holiness / degradation, related to the noble and pure aspects of society. Liberals tend to be more concerned with the first two foundations, while conservatives are generally concerned with all five.

These moral foundations form the basis of ideologies that unite various social groups. Conservatives tend to think that rules and restrictions are necessary to prevent people from acting on their basic instincts. Liberals tend to think that limitations are seen as chains that must be broken to “unleash the noble aspirations” of the people.

The author agrees with philosopher John Stuart Mill that input from both sides is necessary to maintain a healthy political balance. The problem is that both sides have entrenched themselves and are seen as enemies and destructive to their views and to our society.

While not the main focus of the book, Haidt suggests some ways to overcome this stalemate. It suggests that both parties should form “more positive social connections” with each other. Both parties must learn to listen to each other without arguing or getting angry. We should postpone discussing our differences until we can hear what is important to the other party and establish trust. He also sees the need to change our “electoral procedures, institutions and environments” that contribute to our confrontation.

He doesn’t go into great detail about any of the necessary changes, but he also didn’t present it as a goal of his book. I think it gives us a lot to think about to understand and listen to each other. The details of how to work together should come from the shared good intentions and understanding of both groups for each other. In my opinion, no one will win a war between political and cultural groups. Instead, our culture as a whole is ravaged by conflict. Our future depends on finding ways to build on shared motives and goals while respecting the differences that remain inherent in our groups.