The Myth of Left and Right with Hyrum Lewis and Verlan Lewis
Aug 18, 2023
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Hyram and Verlan Lewis challenge the belief that left and right politics represent distinct philosophies. They argue that people on the left and right are more like sports fans adopting their tribe's beliefs. They discuss the flaws in the left-right framework, the ever-changing meanings of left and right, the lack of natural correlation between political issues, and the importance of healthier tribes for human connection. Their book, 'The Myth of Left and Right,' offers a radical intervention in today's political conversation.
The terms 'left' and 'right' do not accurately represent distinct political philosophies, but rather arbitrary tribes who adopt a random assortment of beliefs.
Political positions cannot be neatly categorized into left and right, as there are multiple issues in politics that appeal to individuals from either side.
Rhetoric and policy in politics often do not align, highlighting the importance of focusing on policy positions and actions rather than ideological labels.
Deep dives
The Myth of Left and Right: Challenging Political Labels
In this podcast episode, Hiram and Verlin Lewis discuss their book 'The Myth of Left and Right, How the Political Spectrum Misleads and Harms Americans'. They argue that the widely held belief that the political left and right represent distinct philosophies is a fallacy. Instead, they propose that people on both sides of the political spectrum are more like sports fans who adopt the beliefs of their respective tribes. They argue that the terms left and right do not define philosophical positions, but rather arbitrary tribes. They provide evidence from history, surveys, and experiments to support their theory. They also challenge the idea that parties have moved left or right, highlighting that it is more about tribal loyalty than actual policy positions.
Issues over Essence: Examining Political Positions
The discussion highlights the misconception that political positions can be neatly categorized into left and right. The speakers emphasize that there are multiple issues in politics, making it impossible to reduce complex ideologies to a single spectrum. They debunk the notion that certain personality traits or psychological dispositions are inherently tied to left or right ideologies, stating that it is more about socialization and issue alignment within tribes. They illustrate how different issues can appeal to individuals from either side. The shifting nature of political positions over time is discussed, challenging the idea of parties moving left or right.
Misleading Rhetoric and Misinterpreted Studies
The podcast critiques the flawed methodologies of some studies that try to link personality traits to political ideologies. They argue that the questions asked and the framing of issues can heavily influence the results, leading to misleading interpretations. The speakers reject the idea that political affiliations are solely based on personality traits, instead emphasizing the role of socialization and tribal loyalty in shaping political beliefs. They argue that the terms "left" and "right" often lack meaningful content and are used as rhetorical tools rather than accurate descriptors of political positions.
Rhetoric vs. Policy: Examining Actual Positions
The speakers highlight the discrepancy between rhetoric and policy in politics. They point out that politicians often make grand claims about their ideologies, but their actions and policies do not always align with those claims. They challenge the notion that parties have moved right or left based on such rhetoric, emphasizing that policy positions and actions should be the focus of analysis. The example of the Trump tax cuts and the lack of action to reverse them under the Biden administration is mentioned as an illustration of how rhetoric does not always match policy decisions.
The Myth of Left and Right
The podcast episode challenges the idea of a left-right political spectrum, arguing that it is a delusion. The hosts emphasize that the terms 'left' and 'right' are arbitrary and do not accurately represent people's beliefs or policy positions. Instead, they advocate for discussing issues on a granular level and avoiding the use of ideological labels. By focusing on specific policies and avoiding tribalistic thinking, they believe that constructive discourse and understanding can be achieved.
Moving Beyond Tribalism
The hosts highlight the importance of adopting a scout mindset instead of a soldier mindset in political conversations. They encourage individuals to approach politics with humility, openness, and a willingness to learn. They advocate for finding common ground with others, emphasizing that individuals have unique perspectives and should engage in issue-based discussions rather than resorting to party labels. By challenging the delusion of a coherent ideology tied to one political party, they hope to promote healthier and more productive political discourse.
My guests today are Hyram and Verlan Lewis. Hyram and Verlan are brothers. Hyram is an associate professor of history at Brigham Young University, Idaho, and Verlan is a political scientist at Harvard Center for American Political Studies. Together, Hyram and Verlan have written a very interesting new book called "The Myth of Left and Right: How the Political Spectrum Misleads and Harms America"
In this book, they challenge the widely held belief that the political left and right represent two distinct philosophies, liberalism or progressivism on one end and conservatism on the other. Instead, they argue that people on the left and the right are more like sports fans. They are born into a particular tribe and then they adopt the random assortment of beliefs that tribe currently holds. Now they acknowledge that there are such things as political philosophies, like libertarianism, for example. They just think those philosophies have nothing to do with what we call the left and the right in everyday speech. In other words, the words left and right do not name philosophies. They name arbitrary tribes that then invent convenient, but false stories about what their philosophies are. That thesis is the topic of this conversation and I think it's very interesting. I really enjoyed this conversation and I hope you do too.
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