Episode 9 - Moral Individualism with Professors K. Patterson and C. Karpowitz
Moral individualism—a measure of our autonomy from any external authority, be it the government, our family, a religion, science, friends, or something else—has been increasing over time. We see manifestations of this everywhere across the political spectrum, from general exhortations to “live your truth” or “do your own research” to entire movements based on the idea that our institutions can no longer be trusted. Moral individualism, as an index that can be measured, is the creation of Professors Kelly Patterson and Chris Karpowitz of Brigham Young University. Their book on the subject doesn’t come out until this summer, but I was able to catch up with them to discuss the preview they included in an article published in 2023 in the Cambridge University Press’s Perspectives on Politics. I had a heck of a time talking to them, and look forward to speaking with them again after the book comes out. These ideas really, really matter: how do you hold a society together when core institutions lose their authority? How do you restore that authority once it is lost, especially when it was lost for good reason?
Please listen and share your thoughts in the comments (and enjoy the occasional Paris sirens in the background—Professor Patterson has the good fortune to currently be teaching in France).
Stay tuned for more episodes coming soon with commentary on current events and interviews with people from across the political spectrum.
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