Liberals, Conservatives
and Moral Philosophy
Please Do Now:
Take the Ideological Survey
Essential Questions
• To what extent am I liberal or conservative on
matters of politics and economics?
• What are the moral roots of liberal and
conservative political philosophies?
Learning Goals:
• I can explain several elements of my political
beliefs in terms of how they align to others.
• I understand some of the ways that these beliefs
rest upon the foundations of my morality, and
others.
• I can discuss dystopic concepts in reference to
contemporary political beliefs.
Agenda:
• A little lecture on liberals vs. conservatives
• Analyze your political philosophy survey
• View an intriguing TED Talk on the roots of
moral philosophy
• Debrief
• Consider your moral philosophy in light of
your political views
• If you responded to a conservative statement with “T”
place a “C” in the last column.
• If you responded to the same statement with an “F”
place and “L” in the column.
1. C
2. C
3. C
4. L
5. C
6. L
7. L
8. C
9. C
10. L
11. L
12. L
13. C
14. C
15. L
16. C
17. C
18. C
19. L
20. C
21. C
22. L
23. L
24. C
25. C
And you are…
21-25
16-20
21-25
16-20
10-15
Liberal responses
Liberal responses
Conservative responses
Conservative responses
of either responses
Strong Liberal
Weak Liberal
Strong Conserv
Weak Conserv
Moderate
Economics
LIBERAL
CONSERVATIVE
Economic liberals favor
Economic conservatives favor
more
broader government
involvement
in economic policymaking
and
regulation of business.
limited government
involvement
in economic policymaking
and
regulation of business.
Socio-Politics
LIBERAL
CONSERVATIVE
Social and political liberals
favor more
limited government regulation
of individual behavior.
Social and political
conservatives favor
broader government
regulation of individual
behavior.
Voter Profiles
Jane: “I worked my way up from poverty to become the successful business
owner I am today. I get frustrated when I think that my tax money goes to
support people who won’t help themselves. I think part of the blame belongs
with the media – they promote all the wrong values.”
Jim: “I really don’t care what other people do in their free time, as long as
they don’t bother me. I sure don’t like it when the government tells me what
to do with my money or in my own home – I’m certainly not going to turn
around and do the same thing to my neighbors.”
Johnny: “I really worry about the state of the world today. It seems like more
and more kids are growing up in poverty and there’s no one there to help
them. I think we need to do more toward providing healthcare and education
programs for our young people.”
Jamie: “These days, you can’t be too careful. I think we need to spend a lot
more money on the national defense. I wish there was a police officer on
every corner! The police could search my car all they want, since I don’t break
the law. I also think the government should crack down on the media – their
reporting gives our enemies an inside look at all our military preparations.”
Who’s Liberal?
• I stand for loyalty, respect for authority,
and sanctity
• I stand for justice, compassion, and equality of
opportunity
Who’s Conservative?
• I secrete more skin moisture when I see
disgusting images, such as a person eating
worms
• I prefer dogs who are empathetic, not
subservient
Jonathan Haidt: The moral roots of
liberals and conservatives
• http://www.ted.com/talks/jonathan_haidt_on
_the_moral_mind.html
• http://www.yourmorals.org