Society is divided on precisely those facts that are morally relevant because they concern the six basic principles described by Jonathan Haidt in his book "The Righteous Mind" (those basic principles are: Care, fairness, freedom, authority, loyalty and purity).
Anyone who is concerned about the dangers of fracking, GMOs, immigrants or the Second Amendment, does this not only with a view to the facts, but also from the perspective of morality. Our individual moral identity is thus quite decisively dependent on the group with which we share common values. That is why it is often more important to have the "right" kind of morality than the right facts.
Conformist action is often not based on shared beliefs, but on an internalized peer pressure. Our moral identity is so important to us that we not only want to signal our convictions to others, but also to communicate our group affiliation unequivocally ("virtue signaling" ).
According to the Hidden Tribes study, which examines the current polarization in the U.S., it is not the strict conservatives, for whom loyalty is traditionally particularly important, who feel the strongest group pressure, but rather the "progressive activists" on the far left of the political spectrum. Of these, 42 percent feel strong pressure to conform within their camp, while the average of all groups is only 29 percent.
4
Enjoy being online again!
Welcome to the community of good people who base their values on evidence and appreciate civil discourse - the social network you will enjoy.Create your free account
6 comments
Feel free to reply to any comment by clicking the "Reply" button.I consider my self a 'progressive' as I see liberals as too quick to go along with others in their peer group. That said I do not follow any extreme route and am not far on any ideology. Loyality, to me, is not a virtue but a path to be avoided. Some of my beliefs are controversial but I try to follow the path of evidence based reason not feeling based emotion. However, I have had lots of experiences in a variety of areas, made lots of mistakes and tried to learn from those mistakes. Practicing critical thinking is paramount.
Basically, I have trouble with 'studies' that try to pigeonhole any group. I see morality as being that which help a species lessen their impact on the life support system for many life forms. Species should be discouraged from reaching 'invasive' level including Homo sapiens.
JackPedigo
Level 9
Apr 4, 2019
1
I doubt the figures in that study. It is the far right, the libertarians, the religious right which are driven by near absolute commitment to political, economic, and religious dogma. Commitment to dogma is the driving force behind extreme group pressures. On a continuum those right wing elements are much farther to the extreme than he vast majority those on the left. My observation is that the farther to the extreme, the more they are controlled by dogma, resulting in the highest group pressure.
wordywalt
Level 9
Apr 4, 2019
0
I might be reading this wrongly. I don’t know anything about the Hidden Tribes study, but loyalty is only one of those basic moral principles. It is not surprising to me that conservatives are less influenced by peer pressure. Conservatives tend to be individualistic, thinking of what’s best long-term—willing to sacrifice immediate gain for future well-being. In order to advocate for their positions they almost have to be bold and blunt because they inevitably are met with wails of protest by more sentimental “progressives”.
The left-leaning folks tend to view their positions as morally and intellectually superior, and yes, they vie to present themselves as extremely moral and superior, fighting amongst themselves for the honor of having the biggest ego.
Of course morality is important, but true morality arises spontaneously and is not a tool for political gain. Those six basic principles of morality—they give food for thought. We all want freedom, care for each other, loyalty, etc, but we disagree as to how those things are best achieved.
WilliamFleming
Level 8
Apr 4, 2019
2
Enjoy being online again!
Welcome to the community of good people who base their values on evidence and appreciate civil discourse - the social network you will enjoy.Create your free account
Share this post
Related Groups More
World Music
1359 members
Categories
Agnostic does not evaluate or guarantee the accuracy of any content. Read full disclaimer.