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)

Makes sense...

As someone who grew up Catholic Republican, or I should say had these beliefs pressed upon me, this book breaks down and simplifies the reasoning behind what I've struggled to understand for the past several years. How can all these people I know and once respected (family, friends etc...) believe such nonsense and follow people who are so obviously lying to them!? What's crazy to think is that this book came out before the Trump Era! It's actually from around when I started questioning people and thier politics, something I never really paid all that much attention to before. I pretty much just went with the flow/the majority before then. When I was younger I didn't really question if my parents were right or wrong. I believed them. Why would they lie to me? As I got older and especially after Obama became President, I started to notice so much more hatred, vial talk and unwarranted untruths. It was like blasphemy became a popular thing and I was an Outsider for questioning it or thinking it wrong. Trump was the last straw. Now I knew I was on the right side as realty seemed to unravel around me. This book unveils the sad truths of why that is. I only wish I had read it sooner.

Sobering information

This book explains with scientific evidence the biological and social differences between liberals and conservatives and why we are unlikely to change each other’s minds.

Very Heavy

There is a lot of really good information in this book. For this reason, I think it would be better to read this as a book than listen to the audiobook. That would allow the reader to pause to absorb the information, rather than the endless flow of information in the audiobook.

That said, it is well-written. The scientific data is broken down an explained in a way anyone can understand it. I would love to see an updated version, discussing the events that have occurred since this was published in 2012.

So That's Why!

I have to laugh. A search in Audible using the keywords Republican and Brain turn up “The Republican Brain – The Science of Why they Deny Science” and it also turns up Ann Coulter’s “If Democrats had any Brains, They’d Be Republicans”. One is a serious study and the other is penned by an entertainer. Having seen the performer Ann Coulter and not having much respect for her capacity to reason, I will pass on her book but I will do due diligence and Google her take on Evolution and Climate Change for this review.

It appears that just like many religious right Republicans, she rejects these two convincing science based findings. This book attempts to figure out why a large number of Republicans can ignore solid science. I wanted to know as well. I have Conservative friends and family that I like tremendously but cannot figure out why they reject science and find getting into discussions with them is futile.

There is a lot of solid research here and while the author is a liberal, he occasionally delivers biting criticism of the liberal state of mind. I wonder if Ann can find anything positive to say about a liberal in her book? Essentially the conservative frame of mind has its positive applications sometimes in society, but there is a lot of positives for the liberal bias. One study among many that impressed me talked about brains scans showing emotions being predominant with Republican reasoning and the cerebral area taking the lead with Liberal reasoning. Studies find a cluster of traits shared by many Republicans. One is they do not like uncertainty – liberals do not have a problem with this. It is no surprise that the majority of scientists are more likely to be liberal with the nature of the vocation being amenable to upheaval of certainties when new solid evidence comes in. A religious right Republican is more likely to let the more primitive emotional brain system kick in when presented with solid facts and dig in their heels and deny.

Surprisingly an educated Republican science denier is actually more recalcitrant than an uneducated one when good evidence comes in. They are more adept at bringing in complicated nonsense arguments. This is called being idiot smart. For me, the best way to describe this is to go back a few hundred years to Galileo’s time. His notion that the earth was not the center of the universe went against the teachings of the church. I’m sure many educated religious right people of that time scorned the conclusion that the earth revolved around the sun and came up with some very byzantine proofs to support the sun revolved around the earth view. But Galileo was right and he had good evidence to support his contentions. Darwin and the majority of climate change scientists are probably correct as well.

Liberals and Republicans are human and are capable of similar mistakes with motivated reasoning. I now have a better understanding that my Pollyanna wish to convince a science denier with cogent arguments will ultimately fail because they are reasoning with a more primitive human system that sometimes was the best answer when survival of the group was on the line.

Interesting and persuasive

I was a bit skeptical coming into this book, thinking it would be little more than a partisan rant, but it was actually more fair-minded than I expected. I may be biased because I'm liberal, but I found the evidence pretty convincing that misinformation is a bigger problem on the right than it is on the left, and that this asymmetry can be traced to specific personality traits and cognitive styles pinned down by psychology and neuroscience experiments. I found this evidence pretty disheartening, as it suggests little hope for future bipartisanship, but it is important information that needs to be disseminated (even though conservatives will find a way to dismiss it). If you've ever wondered why liberals and conservatives can't get along, this book is for you. If you suspect that the right is more full of it than the left and are looking for evidence, this book is for you. If you're conservative, you will probably hate it and find a way to dismiss every word of it. If you're on open-minded conservative, you'll probably still hate it, but you might learn a few things.

Interesting Book

Would you listen to The Republican Brain again? Why?

Yes, there is so much information and listening to the book again lets you pick up even more information.

What other book might you compare The Republican Brain to and why?

I couldn't compare it to any other book I've read.

What does William Hughes bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I just like listening to books in my car on my hour plus drive to work and back.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

No.

Any additional comments?

A great read for Republicans or Democrats.

Some interesting facts but biased.

I found the chapter on the parts of the brain and how they correspond to a person’s political affiliation interesting. I am far left on the political scale but the DNC is loaded with many miscalculations and “pants on fire” mistakes. He wrote this before the Trump era, COVID and the current president who is basically a Neoliberal vegetable.

Confirmation

Too many words to say what is already known. The Right is always wrong, and Republicans dumb and subhuman. What we do not get is a way to get rid of them.

In the case of climate change, move them to the affected regions: wildfires zones should only be populated by republicans, burn 'em. Sea rise, drown 'em.

A must read!!

This book contained some truly revelatory observations. Mm ore relevant now than ever, I highly recommend.

Excellent

It really could not have come at a better time. He nailed it. I am pleased that I’m not the only one who sees this.