Moral Politics : How Liberals and Conservatives Think

In this classic text, the first full-scale application of cognitive science to politics, George Lakoff analyzes the unconscious and rhetorical worldviews of liberals and conservatives, discovering radically different but remarkably consistent conceptions of morality on both the left and right. For this new edition, Lakoff adds a preface and an afterword extending his observations to major ideological conflicts since the book's original publication, from the impeachment of Bill Clinton to the 2000 presidential election and its aftermath.

George Lakoff. Moral Politics : How Liberals and Conservatives Think.

George Lakoff’s book is a crucial key to understanding political opponents and achieving political victory. In this first full-scale application of cognitive science to politics, Lakoff analyzes the unconscious worldview of liberals and conservatives, explaning why they are at odds over so many seemingly unrelated issues--like taxes, abortion, regulation, and social programs. The differences, Lakoff argues, are not mere matters of partisanship, but arise from radically different conceptions of morality and ideal family life--meaning that family and morality are at the heart of American politics in ways that are far from obvious.