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Ideology Justifies Morality: Political Beliefs Predict Moral Foundations
Author(s) -
Hatemi Peter K.,
Crabtree Charles,
Smith Kevin B.
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
american journal of political science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 6.347
H-Index - 170
eISSN - 1540-5907
pISSN - 0092-5853
DOI - 10.1111/ajps.12448
Subject(s) - ideology , morality , extant taxon , politics , causality (physics) , moral disengagement , social psychology , social cognitive theory of morality , epistemology , moral psychology , motivated reasoning , psychology , moral development , positive economics , political science , philosophy , law , economics , physics , quantum mechanics , evolutionary biology , biology
Moral Foundations Theory (MFT) is employed as a causal explanation of ideology that posits political attitudes are products of moral intuitions. Prior theoretical models, however, suggest the opposite causal path, that is, that moral judgments are driven by political beliefs. In both instances, however, extant research has assumed rather than explicitly tested for causality. So do moral intuitions drive political beliefs or do political beliefs drive moral intuitions? We empirically address this question using data from two panel studies and one nationally representative study, and find consistent evidence supporting the hypothesis that ideology predicts moral intuitions. The findings have significant implications for MFT as a theory of ideology, and also about the consequences of political beliefs for shaping how individuals rationalize what is right and what is wrong.