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Why Liberals Are More Intelligent Than Conservatives

Seeded on Fri Feb 17, 2012 10:33 AM EST
Read ArticleArticle Source: Psychology Today
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Seeded by Grae
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Hint: Because they are.

Harriet Hayes:  I don't even know what the sides are in the culture wars.

Matt Albie:  Well, your side hates my side because you think we think you are stupid, and my side hates your side because we think you are stupid.

Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, Nevada Day, Part I

It is difficult to define a whole school of political ideology precisely, but one may reasonably define liberalism (as opposed to conservatism) in the contemporary United States as the genuine concern for the welfare of genetically unrelated others and the willingness to contribute larger proportions of private resources for the welfare of such others.  In the modern political and economic context, this willingness usually translates into paying higher proportions of individual incomes in taxes toward the government and its social welfare programs.  Liberals usually support such social welfare programs and higher taxes to finance them, and conservatives usually oppose them.

 

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Grae

Defined as such, liberalism is evolutionarily novel. Humans (like other species) are evolutionarily designed to be altruistic toward their genetic kin, their friends and allies, and members of their deme (a group of intermarrying individuals) or ethnic group. They are not designed to be altruistic toward an indefinite number of complete strangers whom they are not likely ever to meet or interact with. This is largely because our ancestors lived in a small band of 50-150 genetically related individuals, and large cities and nations with thousands and millions of people are themselves evolutionarily novel.

  • 1 vote
Reply#1 - Fri Feb 17, 2012 10:33 AM EST
Kearney Outlaw

I've seen these types of conclusions reached on other social matters, too. Religion and race both come to mind.

I'm a liberal and it's easy for me to put my smug face on and just nod my head, but I really can't. In the past, when I've tried to apply this argument to religion, the logic falls apart. (I know some very intelligent religious people.)

I think the same can be said for conservatives. I think a lot more goes into forming a person's belief system than the simple matter of intelligence.

But I've found it useful to place complex problems into simple surroundings to see what holds true. For example, if we're talking about humans in the stone age, is the smarter person more liable to hold "liberal" beliefs or "conservative" beliefs? I think those beliefs that are defined as "liberal" are the ones that got us further down the road. Progressive might be the operative word.

It's up to you whether that can be judged as more intelligent.

  • 1 vote
Reply#2 - Fri Feb 17, 2012 12:40 PM EST
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