The Republican Brain

The Science of Why They Deny Science - and Reality

By: Chris Mooney

Narrated by: William Hughes

Length: 10 hrs and 54 mins

Publisher's summary

Best-selling author Chris Mooney uses cutting-edge research to explain the psychology behind why today’s Republicans reject reality - it’s just part of who they are. From climate change to evolution, the rejection of mainstream science among Republicans is growing, as is the denial of expert consensus on the economy, American history, foreign policy, and much more.

Why won’t Republicans accept things that most experts agree on? Why are they constantly fighting against the facts? Science writer Chris Mooney explores brain scans, polls, and psychology experiments to explain why conservatives today believe more wrong things, appear more likely than Democrats to oppose new ideas and less likely to change their beliefs in the face of new facts, and sometimes respond to compelling evidence by doubling down on their current beliefs.

Certain to spark discussion and debate, The Republican Brain also promises to add to the lengthy list of persuasive scientific findings that Republicans reject and deny.

Chris Mooney is the best-selling author of The Republican War on Science, the host of the Point of Inquiry podcast, and the author of The Intersection blog for Science Progress. He has written several books, as well as articles for Mother Jones, American Prospect, Harper’s, Washington Post, USA Today, and Slate. He has appeared on The Last Word, The Daily Show, The Colbert Report, Book TV, Science Friday, Morning Joe, and Fresh Air, among other programs.

©2012 Chris Mooney (P)2012 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

“Mooney has bravely tackled a gigantic and complex topic.” (The Washington Post on The Republican War on Science)

"Nothing short of a landmark in contemporary political reporting.” ( Salon on The Republican War on Science)

republican brain an oxymoron

great book. helps in the understanding of why they do what they do. enlightening.

Stop trying to reason with conservative friends!

What did you love best about The Republican Brain?

I loved the studies that showed that trying to argue reason with a conservative is about as constructive as banging my head against a wall. It has steeply decreased by comments on Facebook. I have found humor is much more effective than facts.

Who was your favorite character and why?

n/a

Which character – as performed by William Hughes – was your favorite?

n/a

If you could give The Republican Brain a new subtitle, what would it be?

Stop trying to argue reason with your conservative friends.

Any additional comments?

It isn't all conservative bashing. The author has positive things to say about conservatives and negative things to say about liberals.

A contrasting of liberal and conservative psychology

Mooney provides a thorough description of liberal and conservative personality and behaviors, explaining how their particular attributes relate, backing it all up with thorough research. The reason he titled it “The Republican Brain,” rather than something about political psychology is simply that this topic would be interesting almost exclusively to liberals, as his research backs up. Liberals are more curious, more open, and more interested in understanding another’s perspective.

It also addresses certain questions that liberals are really curious about. Why are Republicans so wrong about so many things that are important to them? Is it just us? Is there something they know that we don’t? He examines the underlying psychology and what research finds about it to explain the mechanisms that mislead them and why they are so easily misled.

As someone who really cares about understanding the world and knowing the truth, I actually found this really comforting. As much as conservatives talk about not being able to trust the mainstream media, claiming that their own news sources are far more reliable, they lack the curiosity to know what other news sources even say and the propensity for deep, abstract reasoning that could lead one to reasonably make such a claim. The book also debunks a lot of the conservative bluster about things like liberal bias in education, noting that the kind of personality traits that might lead one to succeed in academia—curiosity, enjoyment of abstract reasoning, openness to ambiguity and new ideas, and the capacity to change one’s mind when presented with new facts—are ones that skew heavily liberal.

I would compare this book favorably with George Lakoff’s “Moral Politics” (also available on Audible), which examines the internal logic of liberal and conservative world views, showing that both are internally consistent and comprehensible from a few key ideas about them. While Lakoff’s work was more philosophical, concerned with the logic upholding these views, Mooney is more concerned with the psychology underlying the people who possess them. Both works are excellent and complement each other well, without covering the same material excessively.

Written in 2012, I found this book almost prophetic in describing phenomena that were clearly on display over the next decade. The level of Republican disinformation and denial of reality that dominated the Trump presidency, and the Republican Party throughout this era, was already clearly articulated years earlier.

The narrator was quite good, a competent reader who inflects well, is easily understood, and pronounces things correctly. Although not my ideal reader, the reading is very good.

I would recommend this to anyone who wants to understand the psychology underlying their own political views, as well of those of people of differing views. While not a light read (or listen) it’s clear and easy to follow for anyone interested in this subject. I heartily give it five stars.

Some good scientific data but wrong conclusion.

Humans require a hierarchy to achieve stable and long term societies, it is wired in us as described by the author in the structure of our brain. The conservatives maintain a stable society as long as liberal ideas are slowly applied to prevent society from becoming tyrannical, and if liberal ideas are allowed to change society to rapidly they turn into chaos.

In the political arena people have the Coke vs. Pepsi choice, both parties are large companies trying to make as much money as possible in order to maintain political power. So the Conservatives are forced to choose a party that the far right is authoritarian and the liberals are forced to choose a party that the far left is totalitarian. That’s why the study to see if the left was authoritarians produced the results it did.

The author does site studies that do correctly correlate Big Five Personality Traits to the liberal/conservative spectrum. But spends to much time screaming “peer reviewed”, Death Panels and Climate Science denier” that ultimately distracts from the book being a serious piece of literary work.

I selected this as an included audiobook and had serious issues with chapters not working correctly and the book jumping around when I came back to it, to the point I did not finish it.

The affordable care act section 1233 did not contain the word Death Panels and the liberal mind will stop there with a positive conformation bias. During the Gulf War the Military hospital had some army reserve doctors filling in for personnel deployed overseas. The doctor prescribed my son a drug that the Army did not use because of its cost. He gave me the subscription so I could go and get it filled out in town at my own cost. So would a doctor on one the 1233 panels give advice to a patient that the affordable care act will not pay for because of budgetary restraints?

interesting

I was fascinated by some of the personality traits that correlates with a person's political position. I have found that I am almost incapable of coming up with a clear political position. I tend to find an exception to everything. For example, I disagree with abortion but see exceptions that make me support a person's choice. I am opposed to vaccine passports but want medical employers to be allowed to require vaccines for people who work direct with patients. I am contemplating the idea of vaccinated only days at restaurants or theatres similar to women only or men only days. This book showed me that my opened and nuanced (wishy washy) thinking is a part of my democratic leanings.

Excellent!

Well written and insightful, and especially timely, actually more pertinent today today, in the current extreme political polarization in the US.. Thank you!

So timely

It’s like the truthiness of this book has actually increased by orders of magnitude since it’s publication and during the Trump era. I confess that I am not optimistic for our future.
That said, a thoroughly fascinating and compelling read. Thank you so much!

Worth of reading

It is worth of reading or listening, gives different prospectives how to approach ideological differences.

much more in depth than the title suggests

Would you consider the audio edition of The Republican Brain to be better than the print version?

I can't read in my car so this question does not apply

Who was your favorite character and why?

These questions are pointless

What’s the most interesting tidbit you’ve picked up from this book?

The book tries to figure out groups and individuals thought processes and its relationship to open or closed mindedness.

Any additional comments?

overall its really good. It does start to get repetitive in the later chapters

Very well researched and outstandingly accurate

If you ever wondered why some of the people you might know behave in bizarre ways or believe bizarre things this book has the answers. 100% recommend if you are interested in the why's and how's of science/fact/reality denial.