The Independent Whig
Literal and Conceptual
How To Better Articulate Conservatism (and Liberalism too)
As he began his tenure as president of The Heritage Foundation Jim DeMint said that “Conservatives need to better articulate their message if they are to prevail in the war of ideas.” (1) In The Washington Post he wrote, “Conservative policies have proved their worth time and time again. If we’re not communicating in a … Continue reading
The Righteous Mind is Not Enough
There are a couple of reasons I think The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion, by Jonathan Haidt is not enough, but the good news is that its lessons can be used to address both of them. One reason is that, in my opinion, the root of the political divide is … Continue reading
Yes, I Am “Judgmental”: An Overview of the Position of The Independent Whig
JSWagner, a reader of this blog, made a fair and well reasoned comment to the post in which I observed that Opennes Is Not A Moral Foundation. He said that I can be judgmental, and that there’s sometimes a negative tone to my writing about ideas I don’t agree with. He said that I “castigated” … Continue reading
Liberal and Conservative – Literal and Conceptual
The limited employment of moral foundations in the liberal moral matrix and cognitive tool kit, and the liberal faith in reason as the arbiter of truth, together tend to lead liberals to interpret things literally. Their positions tend to center on objective analysis of discreet facts. The liberal view on religion is an example of … Continue reading
Themes Overview
Several themes, observations, about the differences between liberals and conservatives, and liberalism and conservatism, run throughout The Independent Whig. The links in the “Themes” sidebar menu take the reader to the posts which reflect the themes.
I Support Viewpoint Diversity
A politically diverse group of social scientists, natural scientists, humanists, and other scholars who want to improve our academic disciplines and universities. We share a concern about a growing problem: the loss or lack of “viewpoint diversity.” When nearly everyone in a field shares the same political orientation, certain ideas become orthodoxy, dissent is discouraged, and errors can go unchallenged.
Venn Diagram of Liberal and Conservative Traits and Moral Foundations and
The Independent Whig 