The Righteous Mind: Elephant and Rider Analogy

Vocabulary terms and definitions based on the lecture summary of Jonathan Haidt's The Righteous Mind and the psychological relationship between intuition and reason.

Jonathan Haidt

The author of the book The Righteous Mind who uses the analogy of the elephant and the rider to describe human psychology.

The Righteous Mind

The book by Jonathan Haidt that explores how intuitions and emotions direct human beliefs, values, and moral judgments.

The Elephant

In Jonathan Haidt's analogy, this represents our intuitions and emotions, making up the bulk of what we are and determining our direction first.

The Rider

In Jonathan Haidt's analogy, this represents our conscious reason; it feels in control but acts as a 'PR guy' that provides post hoc justifications for the elephant's moves.

Post hoc justifying

The process where the rider comes up with reasons for a belief after the elephant (intuitions/emotions) has already moved or made a judgment.

Reputation management

A crucial social skill for humans as cooperative creatures, involving the use of the 'rider' to justify actions to others to appear more trustworthy.

David Hume

The philosopher who stated that 'reason is slave to the passions,' a point used to illustrate that justifications serve our existing proclivities and drives.

'Reason is slave to the passions'

A quote by David Hume highlighting that emotional drives or passions move us first, while reason only exists to justify or serve those passions.

Moral issues of disgust or disrespect

Specific categories where people often experience the 'elephant' making an instant judgment of 'wrong' before the 'rider' can even identify a logical reason why.

Confirming bias

The tendency for individuals to stop searching for new reasons the moment they find one that validates their deeply held emotional judgments.

Gossip

An evolutionary development in humans that made PR and reputation management essential for social cooperation.