The World's Best Book Summaries
What are the benefits of religion in society? How does religion help make us better as individuals and communities? Social psychologist Jonathan Haidt argues that we must understand religion primarily as a social driver that brings people into a community around a belief. Ultimately, this helps us find our moral foundation. Read more to understand the benefits of religion, according to Jonathan Haidt.
What is Jonathan Haidt’s Moral Foundations Theory? What does he believe are the six foundations of morality? Jonathan Haidt’s Moral Foundations Theory puts forth six foundations of morality that we all have, but in different proportions. They are based on how people in various cultures deal with life’s challenges and what they regard as virtues. Read more to learn about Haidt’s Moral Foundations Theory.
What roles do intuition and reason play when it comes to our moral choices? How and why do we seek to justify these choices? Social psychologist Jonathan Haidt argues that we use intuition rather than reason to make most of our moral choices. Then we use moral reasoning to justify our decisions to others. Basically, we are more concerned that others think we’re doing the right thing than we are concerned about actually doing the right thing. Read more to learn about how we make moral choices and then justify them.
How is morality defined? What is the origin of morality? Social psychologist Jonathan Haidt believes that morality is better defined by what it does rather than what is moral. He argues that, contrary to what many people think, morality isn’t innate. The truth about the origin of morality is more complex. Read on to learn more about the definition and origin of morality.
How is morality determined by reason and emotion? Which force is stronger when it comes to ethics? Some argue that morality is governed by reason. Others insist that morality is governed by emotion. In The Righteous Mind, social psychologist Jonathan Haidt discusses the argument, showing how philosophers and psychologists point to reason and emotion as driving forces behind our moral choices. He believes that one argument is stronger, and he offers insight into how we can leverage this to persuade others. Read more to learn how reason and emotion come into play when it comes to our sense of right
Does the harm principle of ethics have universal merit? What is the principle’s counterargument? The harm principle, introduced by John Stuart Mill in 1859, states that the only way that anyone should exercise power in a civilized society is to prevent harm. This is the basis for ethics in the secular West. However, taking the rest of the world into consideration opens up a different perspective. This is put forth by Jonathan Haidt in his book The Righteous Mind. Read more to learn about differing views regarding the harm principle.
What are the six moral foundations? How can our view of morality expand in order to understand others better? Everyone is accustomed to a certain moral framework, and it can be hard to accept that another morality is moral or even possible. Also, people respond to the six moral foundations in different ways. These factors contribute to the difficulty we have in understanding each other. Gaining insight into how moral foundations work can help us empathize with others. Read more to learn about the six moral foundations.
Why do different societies have different moral codes? Why is a certain behavior “good“ here—but “bad“ over there? Jonathan Haidt, in his book The Righteous Mind, argues that morality is culture-dependent—that different societies have different moral codes. Studying people in Philadelphia and Brazil, he found that even groups within societies have different moralities from one another. Read more to learn why different societies have different moral codes.
What are charity scams? How did the character Asha get involved in charity scams in the book Behind the Beautiful Forevers? Charity scams are when a charity fundraiser diverts the majority of the money collected from donors for personal use. In Behind the Beautiful Forevers, Asha used her nonprofit as a vehicle for government officials to divert funds meant for a school education program. She planned to make money from her share of the stolen funds. Read on to discover how the desire to escape poverty drove Asha to participate in charity scams.
What is the connection between empathy and morality? Do the moral philosophies of Bentham and Kant go far enough? In his book The Righteous Mind, social psychologist Jonathan Haidt asserts that popular Western theories about morality fail to fully grasp the connection between empathy and morality. He points to the moral philosophies of Jeremy Bentham and Immanuel Kant in particular. Read more to learn about the treatment of empathy and morality in Western philosophy.