This course explores the pressing issue of political tribalism, often known as affective polarization, which many believe poses a significant threat to our democratic institutions. We will critically examine the nature of these tribalistic ideologies, drawing insights from contemporary social science and philosophical research. Our discussions will focus on how these ideologies negatively affect cognitive function, manipulate moral sentiments to incite unethical behaviors, and replace genuine truth-seeking conversations with “sorting, signaling, and score-keeping” discourse. This includes the use of language as a tool to categorize individuals into “Us” versus “Them” and to demonstrate loyalty to our own groups while deflecting criticism of our leaders by highlighting similar flaws in opposing figures. We will pay particular attention to how such tribalistic ideologies undermine the foundations of deliberative democracy and diminish our collective sense of national identity and unity.
Faculty Spotlight
Want more insight into Professor Buchanan’s scholarship and academic background? Check out this short video interview posted on YouTube by the Cog-Sci Collective. We look forward to seeing you in class!
