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Profs and Pints presents: “Your Brain on Politics,” with Dr. Daniel Z. Lieberman, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at George Washington University and co-author of The Molecule of More.
How are political beliefs determined?
We typically assume that ideology is the product of reason informed by upbringing and culture. But could there be another factor with greater influence?
In a new synthesis of neuroscience, political science, and human behavioral studies, GWU professor and psychiatrist Daniel Lieberman proposes that political behavior is driven by the brain chemical dopamine, and that chemical’s effects manifest themselves in different ways in the ideologies of the left and right.
This fresh look at the latest in brain science explains why conservatives tend to be more satisfied than liberals, why progressive ideology is dominant in entertainment and academia, and why the opinions of each side are so alien to the other. Dr. Lieberman’s neuroscientific approach offers a biological understanding of political ideology and suggests ways to make political communication more effective. (Advance tickets: $12. Door: $15, save $2 with student ID).
