TED Talk on Moral Values: Liberals and Conservatives

Over at TED, there’s a talk by Jonathan Haidt on “The real difference between liberals and conservatives.”  It’s well worth watching, especially with the election-heightened tensions between the two groups.  Haidt examines five “moral values” that define humans and explains which ones each group tends to favor.  But more than just explaining how liberals and conservatives think, he also examines why each side is necessary and encourages us to step outside of the “moral matrix” and, at least for a moment, be neither for or against either side.

I found the talk intriguing, and similar to my own views.  Part of what makes America amazing is that we have been able to do just that.  As I wrote to a friend this week:

It’s probable that I will never be able to give any reason that some people will think is good enough to justify voting for Obama.  If this is the case, let’s at least agree to respect each others views; to recognize that their is intelligence, wisdom, patriotism, and goodness on both sides of the aisle; and refuse to demonize the other party as insane baby-killers or torture-happy maniacs.  This country has come through two hundred and fifty years with people having deep disagreements over issues, and it is better for that.  But that is only because we have always been able to recognize that we are all Americans and we all bring something to the table.

So watch Haidt’s talk over at TED and think, briefly, outside of the traditional liberal-conservative framework.