DiscoverOutrage Overload: Rethinking politics, division, and media63. Moral Psychology and the Harm-Based Roots of Political Polarization - Sam Pratt
63. Moral Psychology and the Harm-Based Roots of Political Polarization - Sam Pratt

63. Moral Psychology and the Harm-Based Roots of Political Polarization - Sam Pratt

Update: 2025-04-30
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How Perceptions of Harm Drive Moral Outrage and Political Conflict


In episode 61, we explored Outraged! with Kurt Gray, discussing the harm-based model of morality and how our perceptions of harm and victimization fuel moral outrage. But there’s so much more to uncover.

In this episode, we take a deeper dive into the research behind these ideas with moral psychology researcher Sam Pratt. We examine the paper Morality in Our Mind and Across Cultures and Politics, unpacking how different moral perspectives shape political polarization, why people moralize certain issues differently, and the tension between moral relativism vs. universalism.

We also discuss how victimhood and morality interact—why some people strongly identify as victims in political and social conflicts, and how this influences the broader psychology of morality.

If you’ve ever wondered why people see the same events through completely different moral lenses, this episode is for you.

Text me your feedback and leave your contact info if you'd like a reply (this is a one-way text). Thanks, David

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Show Notes:
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Follow me, David Beckemeyer, on Twitter @mrblog or email outrageoverload@gmail.com. Follow the show on Twitter @OutrageOverload or Instagram @OutrageOverload. We are also on Facebook /OutrageOverload.

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Intro music and outro music by Michael Ramir C.

Many thanks to my co-editor and co-director, Austin Chen.

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63. Moral Psychology and the Harm-Based Roots of Political Polarization - Sam Pratt

63. Moral Psychology and the Harm-Based Roots of Political Polarization - Sam Pratt

David Beckemeyer