Society

The Righteous Mind: 6 key ideas

by Jonathan Haidt

The core ideas of The Righteous Mind, each in under a minute, written in our own words. Want the full depth? Get the book.

1. IDEA 1 OF 6

   Intuitions come first

   Moral judgements are fast and emotional; reasoning mostly justifies them afterwards.

2. IDEA 2 OF 6

   Morality is more than harm and fairness

   People also care about loyalty, authority, sanctity and liberty, in different mixes.

3. IDEA 3 OF 6

   Different politics, different foundations

   Political groups weight these moral foundations differently, which is why debates feel like talking past each other.

4. IDEA 4 OF 6

   Morality binds and blinds

   Shared values hold groups together but make it hard to see opponents' views.

5. IDEA 5 OF 6

   To persuade, speak to intuitions

   Arguments alone rarely change minds.

   Build rapport and appeal to the values the other side holds.

6. IDEA 6 OF 6

   We are groupish

   Humans are mostly self-interested but can become hive-minded in teams, rituals and causes.