Why Are the Highly Educated So Liberal?
nytimes.com
Why Are the Highly Educated So Liberal?
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Re: Why Are the Highly Educated So Liberal?
#2[deleted]
Re: Why Are the Highly Educated So Liberal?
#3Pithy answer: because you aren't going to be afraid of something when you understand that it's not something you need to fear.
When you have a simple world view, nuance is always going to escape you. An educated person can understand that the world isn't simple, which will lead to a more liberal view, as liberal views tend to be based on the assumption that angry, narrow world view responses aren't a good thing. Someone who sees things in black and white, ignoring the complexities of life, will respond with simple, ignorant answers.
Examples: climate change denial, anti-vax, religion... They're the intellectual equivalent of sticking your fingers in your ears and shouting, rather than seeking to actually understand anything.
It's worth noting that all these things are driven by fear of things people don't understand. Someone who understands how vaccinations work, why we do them, why they're made the way they are can't be afraid of them, and thus won't be against them. But most people aren't in that camp, which opens the door for people to make bad choices.
It's hard getting people to be want to be informed and right, when it means they might have to disagree with their social group.
Re: Why Are the Highly Educated So Liberal?
#4The two parties have been getting more polarized, that much is clear. The problem with the GOP from an educated person's perspective is that many, if not most of its politicians get elected through anti-intellectual rhetoric. Trump is the most extreme example of this. He makes no actual arguments and just attacks his detractors.
An educated group taught to embrace science will certainly take issue with leaders who ignore it.
Additionally, the GOP is the party of creationists and climate deniers. That is just too extreme of an anti-intellectual slant to tolerate.
Re: Why Are the Highly Educated So Liberal?
#5There is a curious (albeit incomplete) parallel here to Moldbug's theory of the five castes of the United States.
Re: Why Are the Highly Educated So Liberal?
#6[deleted]
Re: Why Are the Highly Educated So Liberal?
#7This question doesn't get enough attention. I thought this article was pretty shoddy, though.
> The growing number of women with advanced degrees is part of it, as well-educated women tend to be especially left-leaning.
"Why are the highly educated so liberal?"... "Because highly educated women are liberal, and there are more highly-educated women."
Well that explains everything. /s
Re: Why Are the Highly Educated So Liberal?
#851% of college graduates voted for Romney in 2012 while only 48% for Obama
Romney actually lost with highschool educated only and he lost significantly with postgraduate studies only getting 42% of the vote with Obama getting 55%.
So really the trend is that academics are liberal, not the highly educated.
(That 3% gap in college grads likely accounts for a larger percentage of the population than the massive 13% gap among grad degree holders)
http://ropercenter.cornell.edu/polls/us-elections/how-groups...
edit: another source that adds evidence to my argument
Professors in humanities that identify as Republican range from 6 to 11 percent.
Social Sciences 7 and 9 percent
2% of English professors are Republican.
Meanwhile 18% of social scientists are Marxists.
This evidence leads me to believe that Academics self select to be liberal and that people with a conservative mindset do not find academia appealing for whatever reason. The reason I rule it has little to do with intelligence of the groups is the prevalence of Marxism amongst academics. Intelligent people that use evidence to reason about their beliefs wouldn't be Marxist.
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/08/opinion/sunday/a-confessio...
Re: Why Are the Highly Educated So Liberal?
#9Probably because the education system, in most western countries is largely subsidised by government. So the professors, and the teachers who are largely on public payroll, are bound to be less critical of government, than, say someone in the private sector. Which in turn will permeate those who they teach. It's in their best interest to then spread ideals which uphold their government funding.
Re: Why Are the Highly Educated So Liberal?
#10Pithy answer: because you aren't going to be afraid of something when you understand that it's not something you need to fear. When you have a simple world view, nuance is always going to escape you. An educated person can understand that the world isn't simple, which will lead to a more liberal view, as liberal views tend to be based on the assumption that angry, narrow world view responses aren't a good thing. Some…
However it seems the majority of anti-vaxxers are liberals