Your article reminded me of this detailed piece by al-Gharbi that I’m sure you’re familiar with. I really loved how careful he was in his analysis and how he concluded with this important qualifier:
“Critically, these facts don’t tell us anything about which worldview is morally correct. Outside of Randian objectivism, it is widely acknowledged that what is maximally advantageous for oneself is not necessarily the most moral thing to do. Doing the right thing instead regularly imposes risks and costs on those who step up. Consequently, the fact that conservatism has practical advantages for adherents while liberalism may undermine well-being doesn’t necessarily tell us which ideology is more ethical to hold. Those are questions better suited for theology and philosophy than social science.”
Thanks for linking that article, I didn't know of it. It is very good, comprehensively pulling together studies and conclusions scattered across the 'net. A veritable clearinghouse.
That summation you quote is the underlayment for the entire article: The lack of a recognized basis for ethics is the key to the whole problem. If ethical concerns are important to you and you think that there's no objective grounding for morality, you're at sea. I think everyone--excluding psychopaths--knows on the deepest level that morality is universal and based, but denial of a transcendent basis is going to result in a foundational fault and lead to instability, if not a full-blown earthquake.
Anyhow, thanks for that link, Jason. Here's a good one in return you might not be familiar with.
It's a review of a book by the Leftist professor and thinker, Roberto Unger. A good part of the book is an attempt to find a grounding for ethics apart from the transcendent. The writer, A.A. Leff, takes on the persona of the Devil in critiquing the book. It's brutally funny.
The New Puritans of the woke left fear humour because it calls out hypocrisy and laughs at it. We should scare the shit out of them.
Your article reminded me of this detailed piece by al-Gharbi that I’m sure you’re familiar with. I really loved how careful he was in his analysis and how he concluded with this important qualifier:
“Critically, these facts don’t tell us anything about which worldview is morally correct. Outside of Randian objectivism, it is widely acknowledged that what is maximally advantageous for oneself is not necessarily the most moral thing to do. Doing the right thing instead regularly imposes risks and costs on those who step up. Consequently, the fact that conservatism has practical advantages for adherents while liberalism may undermine well-being doesn’t necessarily tell us which ideology is more ethical to hold. Those are questions better suited for theology and philosophy than social science.”
https://americanaffairsjournal.org/2023/03/how-to-understand-the-well-being-gap-between-liberals-and-conservatives/
Thanks for linking that article, I didn't know of it. It is very good, comprehensively pulling together studies and conclusions scattered across the 'net. A veritable clearinghouse.
That summation you quote is the underlayment for the entire article: The lack of a recognized basis for ethics is the key to the whole problem. If ethical concerns are important to you and you think that there's no objective grounding for morality, you're at sea. I think everyone--excluding psychopaths--knows on the deepest level that morality is universal and based, but denial of a transcendent basis is going to result in a foundational fault and lead to instability, if not a full-blown earthquake.
Anyhow, thanks for that link, Jason. Here's a good one in return you might not be familiar with.
http://digitalcommons.law.yale.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3822&context=fss_papers
It's a review of a book by the Leftist professor and thinker, Roberto Unger. A good part of the book is an attempt to find a grounding for ethics apart from the transcendent. The writer, A.A. Leff, takes on the persona of the Devil in critiquing the book. It's brutally funny.
I am not familiar with it but will definitely have a read. Thank you.