Left and Right

Jost's Left and Right: The Psychological Significance of a Political Distinction provides a timely, creative and valuable contribution to our understanding of political ideology. By tackling contentious and critical topics with comprehensive and meticulous care, including the use of neuroscience and the importance of ethical values in the study of politics, Jost offers a powerful and thought-provoking analysis of the meaning and importance of these forces in everyday individual lives. * Rose McDermott, David and Marianna Fisher University Professor of International Relations, Brown University *
Left and Right is a must-read for all who are interested in political psychology. Written by a leader of the field, it provides a spirited and convincing case for the importance of the left-right dichotomy in politics. * Thomas F. Pettigrew, Research Professor of Social Psychology, University of California, Santa Cruz *
If like many social scientists you too have been content with embracing the Enlightenment idea that we are born tabula rasa and develop our political preferences by persuasion and socialisation, pick up this book and enjoy an exhilarating rollercoaster ride. Supported by evidence now too varied and abundant to ignore, Professor Jost offers the most comprehensive argument hitherto available that whether our carriage veers towards the political left or right heavily depends on our psychological makeup. It deserves to be a milestone in political psychology. * Diego Gambetta, Professor of Social Theory, European University Institute *
In this book, John Jost has accomplished something extraordinary, a truly political psychology—a psychology not of self-interest or of in-group or "tribal" loyalty, but of the large-scale ideas, ideals, identities, and motivations that form the ideological frameworks within which individuals and groups situate themselves, orient thought and action, and seek justification. He makes an essential contribution to our understanding of ourselves and others, synthesizing "top down" doctrinal and structural analysis and "bottom up" affective and cognitive affinities to show the durability and explanatory power of the "Left"/"Right" division. Recent events demand such an understanding, and Jost's work should be essential reading not only for psychologists, sociologists, political scientists, and philosophers, but for anyone who cares about the direction of our societies. * Peter Railton, Gregory S. Kavka Distinguished University Professor, University of Michigan *