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- Title: Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion
- Author: Jonathan Haidt
- Narrator: Jonathan Haidt
- Length: 11:00:59
- Version: Abridged
- Release Date: 17/07/2012
- Publisher: Ascent Audio
- Genre: Non-Fiction, Politics, Global Politics, Psychology, Social Science
- ISBN13: 9.78E+12
As I settled into my favorite listening chair – a ritual I developed during my research fellowship in Kyoto – with Jonathan Haidt’s “The Righteous Mind” playing through my headphones, I was immediately struck by how perfectly this work bridges my twin passions: literary analysis and cross-cultural psychology. The audiobook experience becomes particularly profound when the author serves as narrator, and Haidt’s measured cadence brings remarkable clarity to his complex moral framework.
“”A Cultural Anthropologist’s Dream””
What fascinates me most is how Haidt’s moral foundations theory resonates with my comparative literature work. His six moral foundations (care/harm, fairness/cheating, loyalty/betrayal, authority/subversion, sanctity/degradation, liberty/oppression) create a universal grammar of ethics that reminds me of analyzing narrative archetypes across cultures. During my Tokyo years studying Murakami’s works in both languages, I observed how moral intuitions manifest differently in Eastern versus Western storytelling – an observation Haidt’s research validates scientifically.
“”The Audio Advantage””
Haidt’s narration transforms abstract concepts into conversational wisdom. His slight New York inflection when discussing political divides adds authenticity, while his deliberate pacing during the ‘elephant and rider’ metaphor (our emotional intuition vs. rational deliberation) enhances comprehension. The audio format particularly shines in Chapter 5’s exploration of religious ecstasy – hearing Haidt describe ‘collective effervescence’ with genuine wonder makes Durkheim’s concept vibrantly accessible.
“”Academic Strengths””
Through a cultural lens, Haidt’s most valuable contribution is dismantling the ‘rationalist delusion.’ His groupishness hypothesis – that human morality evolved for tribal cohesion rather than individual rationality – explains everything from campus activism to nationalist movements. The analysis of liberal/conservative moral matrices (liberals prioritize care and fairness; conservatives use all six foundations) clarified debates I’ve moderated in my Global Narratives seminar.
“”Personal Resonances””
This reminds me of when I first taught Rushdie’s “Satanic Verses” and witnessed how moral foundations shaped students’ interpretations. Those prioritizing sanctity found the book blasphemous; fairness-focused readers defended artistic liberty. Haidt provides the psychological framework I wish I’d possessed then.
“”Critical Engagement””
While groundbreaking, the work occasionally overstates conservative moral sophistication. As someone who’s analyzed political rhetoric cross-culturally, I find Haidt underestimates how progressive movements also employ loyalty/sanctity foundations (consider environmentalism’s ‘sacred’ Earth rhetoric). The audio version could benefit from supplementary PDFs of his diagrams.
“”Comparative Landscape””
Unlike Manson’s “Subtle Art”, which offers individual life strategies, Haidt provides societal diagnostics. His work complements “The Happiness Hypothesis” (also by Haidt) but with greater political urgency. For audiobook listeners seeking similar depth, I’d recommend pairing this with Kwame Anthony Appiah’s “Cosmopolitanism”.
“”Recommendations””
Ideal for: psychology students, political analysts, interfaith leaders, and anyone exhausted by culture wars. The 13-hour runtime demands commitment but rewards with transformative perspective shifts. Listen particularly to Chapter 10’s analysis of ideological diversity – it’s academic storytelling at its finest.
In scholarly solidarity and shared curiosity,
Prof. Emily Chen
