The Authoritarians- a recommendation

I recently read a book by an American social scientist working in Canada. I was frankly shocked by what I read, but many things that have been going on around the world and here in  the States, are explained by this book. I believe that everyone from all political stripes should read it. It's free, it isn't terribly long, it is written for the layman, so we all can understand what's in it and not be bored by the language used. What can be gained by reading this? Well, I can't say this better than the author.

OK, what’s this book about? It’s about what’s happened to the American government lately. It’s about the disastrous decisions that government has made. It’s about the corruption that rotted the Congress. It’s about how traditional conservatism has nearly been destroyed by authoritarianism. It’s about how the “Religious Right” teamed up with amoral authoritarian leaders to push its un-democratic agenda onto the country. It’s about the United States standing at the crossroads as the next federal election approaches.

“Well,” you might be thinking, “I don’t believe any of this is true.” Or maybe, you’re thinking, “What else is new? I’ve believed this for years.” Why should a conservative, moderate, or liberal bother with this book? Why should any Republican, Independent, or Democrat click the “Whole Book” link on this page?

Because if you do, you’ll begin an easy-ride journey through some very relevant scientific studies I have done on authoritarian personalities--one that will take you a heck of a lot less time than the decades it took me. Those studies have a direct bearing on all the topics mentioned above. So if you think the first paragraph is a lot of hokum, or full of half-truths, I invite you to look at the research.

For example, take the following statement: “Once our government leaders and the authorities condemn the dangerous elements in our society, it will be the duty of every patriotic citizen to help stomp out the rot that is poisoning our country from within.” Sounds like something Hitler would say, right? Want to guess how many politicians, how many lawmakers in the United States agreed with it? Want to guess what they had in common?

Or how about a government program that persecutes political parties, or minorities, or journalists the authorities do not like, by putting them in jail, even torturing and killing them. Nobody would approve of that, right? Guess again.

Don’t think for a minute this doesn’t concern you personally. Let me ask you, as we’re passing the time here, how many ordinary people do you think an evil authority would have to order to kill you before he found someone who would, unjustly, out of sheer obedience, just because the authority said to? What sort of person is most likely to follow such an order? What kind of official is most likely to give that order, if it suited his purposes? Look at what experiments tell us, as I did.

If, on the other hand,  you’re way ahead of me, and believe the extreme right-wing elements in America are poised to take it over, permanently, I think you can still get a lot from this book. The studies explain so much about these people. Yes, the research shows they are very aggressive, but why are they so hostile? Yes, experiments show they are almost totally uninfluenced by reasoning and evidence, but why are they so dogmatic? Yes, studies show the Religious Right has more than its fair share of hypocrites, from top to bottom; but why are they two-faced, and how come one face never notices the other? Yes, their leaders can give the flimsiest of excuses and even outright lies about things they’ve done wrong, but why do the rank and file believe them? What happens when authoritarian followers find the authoritarian leaders they crave and start marching together?

I think you’ll find this book “explains a lot.” Many scattered impressions about the enemies of freedom and equality become solidified by science and coherently connected here.

You think I’m pulling your leg? Click the link.

                                                            -Bob Altemeyer

http://home.cc.umanitoba.ca/~altemey/

Evolution, Reason, and Faith

This week on "The View" there was a discussion concerning a study conducted by NOAA scientists describing how natural laws may have played a role in the Exodus story of the Red Sea parting. Sherri Shepherd, a panelist on the show, was visibly upset by the encroachment of science on her faith. This discussion lead her to explain, briefly, her belief system which does not include things like evolution, etc. Similarly, Christine O'Donnell stated in 1998 that "evolution is a myth" and she's running for a Senate seat in Delaware. Several Republican candidates for President of the United States, Mike Huckabee, Sam Brownback, and Tom Tancredo, during the primary debates, stated for the record that they do not believe in evolution.

The debate has and seem to continue to be that a belief in a religious life or a deity, is exclusive of scientific facts. In other words, one either believes in Science or one believe in God, and these beliefs are incompatible.


NONSENSE!!

Until recently, say the last 150 years, many scientists, in fact, were clergy, since those were the guys that got the most education. They certainly didn't seem to have a problem of balancing belief with knowledge. Isaac Newton defined thermodynamics of Thursday, and still preached the Gospel on Sunday, and I'm sure his congregation benefited from having such an intelligent and learned vicar.

The real debate here is one between knowledge and belief. Knowledge being something that we know is true, either by direct observation, or by the application of logic to provide  a  deduction based on those observations. Belief, on the other hand, is an opinion. It may also be based on logical observation and deduction, but often without the strict methodology that is required to call it knowledge. In other words "I know it in my heart" or "I know it in my gut" is not the same as "I know it."

The two, Knowledge, and Belief do not have to be mutually exclusive. I remember being nineteen years old discussing this very thing with an Anglican priest. I asked if he believed the Adam and Eve story. He chuckled and told me he thought it was a nice story, but that's what it was, a story. When he saw the confusion on my face he told me that science may describe the possible mechanism used by God to make me, but it didn't affect his belief that it was God that did it, and that God loves us all.

I recently read a study based on some experiments done in Canada concerning authoritarianism. I do recommend following the link, and reading the study. It's written for laypeople, so you don't have to be a social scientist to follow it. One of the things this study points out is the lack of intellectual curiosity in people with a certain orientation toward authority. This is not to say that these people lack intelligence, in fact they may operate at a genius level, but they defer to authority to provide their answers. So if they are told, by their trusted authority that something is not worth knowing, they will avoid the understanding of this "unnecessary" knowledge.

I honestly feel sorry for people that close themselves from knowledge. As Galileo once said:

"I do not feel obliged to believe that the same God who has endowed us with sense, reason, and intellect has intended us to forgo their use."

So, let's say the Red Sea was parted by a constant wind, it sure happened at a convenient time for Moses and company. Sounds like a miracle to me. As more discoveries happen, I am more in awe of the wonders in the universe, and the God that made them.