Morality and political orientations: An analysis of their relationship

Abstract

Politics can be seen as a rule-governed contest between competing definitions of the morally desirable. This view gives rise to the following questions, examined in this chapter: How do individuals' moral characteristics shape their choice of sides in this contest? How are the rules of this contest interpreted, and how and why do individuals differ in their interpretation of these rules? What determines the degree to which people become engaged in this contest? Answers derived from cognitive constructivism, for the last 30 years the dominant perspective in moral psychology, are contrasted with a socio-genetic interpretation. This latter approach treats moral perspectives as social identities that are socially constructed and communicated. The chapter reports on a research programme examining how moral reasoning communicates a political position. It also gives particular attention to the effects of participation in formal education upon the construction of political attitudes and identities.