Living in Moral Ecologies: The Importance of Shared Standards

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Influenced by our surroundings, we absorb the values and behaviors of our culture. We are shaped by institutions like family and community, which form our moral compass. An example is given of how working with Jim Lehrer on PBS influenced the speaker's behavior. Lehrer's reactions set standards that made it easier to do the right thing. We are not separate individuals but rather porous beings, influenced by the world. Therefore, we rely on a shared moral ecology that encourages us to be good, otherwise we default to selfishness.

Sam Harris speaks with David Brooks about the state of American democracy and the liberal world order. They discuss the weakness of moral individualism, the loss of social trust, the dangers of identity politics, what happened to the Republican Party, the hatred of elites, the 2024 Presidential Election, the Trump indictments, the war in Ukraine, moral force, the roots of liberalism, the various flavors of Trump support, the Biden presidency, Hunter Biden’s laptop scandal, Biden’s prospects in 2024, Nikki Haley, economic inequality, the problems with meritocracy, the state of media and social media, the lure of conspiracy thinking, the politics of recognition, our handling of the Covid pandemic, our difficulties acknowledging uncertainty, our withdrawal from Afghanistan, the limits of American power, and other topics.

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