I recommend TED talks. Here's some thoughts about a talk by psychologist Jonathan Haidt on political values.
Liberals value:
- openness to experience, novelty, variety, diversity, new ideas, travel
Conservatives:
- like things that are familiar, safe, dependable
5 foundational values across cultures;
1. Harm/care
2. Fairness/reciprocity
3. In group loyalty
4. Authority/respect
5. Purity/sanctity
Liberals value (1) and (2) slightly more than conservatives. Conservatives value (3) - (5) a lot more than liberals. Liberal response is:
- celebrate diversity
- question authority
- keep your hands off my body
Liberals: pro-change, revolution, risk chaos
Conservatives: value order and stability
We need both: Yin/Yang, Vishnu (preserver) v Shiva (destroyer/change)
Everybody thinks they are right.
Video:
Jonathan Haidt TED 2008
