Drawing upon the narrative of his new book, The Righteous Mind: Why Good People are Divided by Politics and Religion, Dr. Jonathan Haidt gave a lecture entitled “The Rationalist Delusion in Moral Psychology,” on April 24, 2012 to members of Teachers College at Columbia University. Dr. Haidt elaborates on his own research in moral and cultural psychology to frame discussions on moral instincts—the rapid, highly emotional moral judgments we make—and their influence on contemporary politics and perspectives on natural selection.

Subtle stimuli in the environment exert a strong influence on the way we think about global warming. The notion that surrounding objects unconsciously influence our thoughts and behavior is of interest to individuals who are interested in developing strategies to promote sustainable behavior.