Why can't our opponents be reasonable? In his new book, “The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion,” social psychologist Jonathan Haidt explores the origins of morality in our rapid and automatic moral intuitions.

To be “close-minded” is, according to the dictionary, to be “intolerant of the beliefs and opinions of others; stubbornly unreceptive to new ideas.” To be conservative and close-minded, according to popular portrayal, is a redundancy—a package deal that liberals can and do take for granted.But University of Virginia...

Ready for the battle in November? You probably think I’m talking about the election. No, I’m talking about the battle around your Thanksgiving table. The dinner conversation will turn to politics and the economy, and it will be your job to stick up for capitalism and free markets.

How do we reconcile the spiritual and moral side of life with theories of evolutionary psychology?

Happiness is not just a personal issue--it is a matter of national concern. America’s founders believed that the pursuit of happiness was a measure of the effectiveness and morality of the state. Today, we know that happy people work harder, are more charitable, have better marriages, are better parents, act...