In these divisive times, the work of social psychologist Jonathan Haidt is both enlightening and thought-provoking. The Righteous Mind: Why Good People are Divided by Religion and Politics is an in-depth, highly researched book that attempts to explain why and how people can so strongly differ from each other in their beliefs and actions.
Haidt uses his own research as well as the work of historians, anthropologists, philosophers and psychologists to shed light on the surprising role of emotions in a person’s morality and our tendency not toward selfishness but toward groupishness.
This is a very dense read, covering a lot of theory and analysis, but it provides a fascinating perspective that is as timely as it is challenging.
Raela Schoenherr is an editor at a Minnesota publishing company. She loves to talk books and writing on Twitter at @raelaschoenherr.
