Ideology and the brain

[Slartibartfast]

Nature vs Nurture debate.

Is your ideology something inborn or learned? In your opinion of course.

 

[Redress]

Nature vs Nurture debate.

Is your ideology something inborn or learned? In your opinion of course.

Learned. No one is instinctively republican or democrat or libertarian.

 

[Slartibartfast]

Learned. No one is instinctively republican or democrat or libertarian.

Sure. But one might be biologically be lead to modes of thinking that would favor one ideology over another.

 

[Redress]

Sure. But one might be biologically be lead to modes of thinking that would favor one ideology over another.

I can't think of any biological factors that would lead to favoring one ideology over another. Well, maybe that it's smarter to be a liberal, but I doubt even that really is a factor.

 

[Redress]

Your poll lacks 0 %.

 

[Slartibartfast]

Indeed it does :doh

 

[ricksfolly]

Everything we say or do is conditioned behavior, and has nothing to do with idealogy or genes. Genes, another unproven theory from a long list of other unproven theories

ricksfolly

 

[Slartibartfast]

Everything we say or do is conditioned behavior, and has nothing to do with idealogy or genes. Genes, another unproven theory from a long list of other unproven theories

ricksfolly

Wait, you are saying that DNA is an unproven theory or are you saying that genetic involvement in behavior is an unproven theory.

 

[ricksfolly]

Wait, you are saying that DNA is an unproven theory or are you saying that genetic involvement in behavior is an unproven theory.

Let's just say that I'm skeptical about things I can't prove to myself. Science is only half right in most of their theories. They get an A on effects, but a D on provable causes.

ricksfolly

 

[Harry Guerrilla]

Nature vs Nurture debate.

Is your ideology something inborn or learned? In your opinion of course.

I picked 50%, for the time being.

At least half of your political philosophy is learned, however, your brain function can lend a hand in influencing whether or not you actually belief said philosophy.

 

[Hoplite]

I wouldnt say particular ideologies are inborn, but people often make their choice of ideologies based on the structure of what they learned as a child.

I personally am a Socialist, I use all of my mental faculties to examine everything I can find about politics and different ideologies against the backdrop of my own experiences and moral compass and I cant find it in my heart to identify as anything else; I'm a Socialist because I cant be anything else.

So I wouldnt say ideology is born into you, but as was suggested earlier, modes of thinking that are instilled into you as a child stay with you and guide you towards different ideological paths.

 

[Gipper]

50/50

We're ultimately reflections of our parents when we're young, but once we get of age, firsthand knowledge and experience begin to either enforce what you believed in the first place, or change to what you believe now.

 

[ricksfolly]

I picked 50%, for the time being.

At least half of your political philosophy is learned, however, your brain function can lend a hand in influencing whether or not you actually belief said philosophy.

Our memories are where our beliefs and philosophies are, and are activated by the situations we are in at the time, so how and where does the brain function fit in?

ricksfolly

 

[Cephus]

Entirely and completely learned. Nobody pops out of the womb waving a political flag, it all comes from our upbringing.

 

[ricksfolly]

I wouldnt say particular ideologies are inborn, but people often make their choice of ideologies based on the structure of what they learned as a child.

I personally am a Socialist, I use all of my mental faculties to examine everything I can find about politics and different ideologies against the backdrop of my own experiences and moral compass and I cant find it in my heart to identify as anything else; I'm a Socialist because I cant be anything else.

None of can change who and what we are. Our beliefs and learned responses are as much a part of us as our arms and legs.

ricksfolly

 

[phattonez]

The only logical conclusion: we don't know. I'm looking for that option.

For instance, DNA may induce sympathy, or outrage at certain issues which could persuade our idelogical beliefs.

Also important to note is epigenetics which we are not born with, but controls protein expression and could also have impact on our ideologies. So like I said, impossible to know.

 

[lizzie]

I consider mine learned since it's just about 180 degrees from 30 years ago.

 

[digsbe]

I think ideology is 100% learned and "nurtured." People change ideologies and ideas based on information. As of last week I used to be a conservative, but now I'm a liberal because I chose to change my ideology.

 

[TOJ]

Do some people have an innate affinity for freedom but others for security?

.

 

[Dav]

People who are saying it's 100% either are just plain wrong. Genes affect a person in so many different ways it's impossible for them to not affect ideology in some way. Same with the alternative.

I would personally say that ideology is mostly developed over time, with a hint of genetic influence - maybe 80/20.

 

[The Mark]

I would lean towards 0% being nature, and 100% being nurture...

There is perhaps a small percentage that is natural, but I personally don't think it is all that hard to overcome - if it even exists.

 

[Aunt Spiker]

Nature vs Nurture debate.

Is your ideology something inborn or learned? In your opinion of course.

Learned, inborn, influence from your world and life experiences.

There's no particular number that denotes what's what - for one person it might be 100% based on life experiences. For someone else it might be purely from how they were raised, etc etc.

 

[ricksfolly]

The only logical conclusion: we don't know. I'm looking for that option.

For instance, DNA may induce sympathy, or outrage at certain issues which could persuade our idelogical beliefs.

Also important to note is epigenetics which we are not born with, but controls protein expression and could also have impact on our ideologies. So like I said, impossible to know.

All those things you mentioned are learned behavior. Chemistry could play a part in it, but I don't know what or how.

ricksfolly

 

[marduc]

I think that it is a mix of both,as far as mental predisposition towards a set ideology, people are predisposed to different modes thinking, some are more left brained, some are more right brained. Some minds work better with abstract, some better with hard factual evidence, some are more emotional, some are more logical. Some people are more individualistic, others more social. . Brain chemistry could also have an impact as well, for example some brains could be more wired to be empathetic than others. These all could potentially have an impact on ideology.

My personal anecdotal evidence on the subject: I was adopted, although I was less than a month old at the time. My ideology is uniquely my own, and is in staunch contrast to my parents, most notably to my fathers.

Despite being raised and being taught a certain mindset, and attempts to steer my mind towards his world outlook, it did not take, nor would it have ever, my mind is not wired the same as his and as has been demonstrated repeatedly over the course of my lifetime we inevitably will reach polar opposite conclusions or stances given the same sets of data. I am quite confident that a significantly large reason behind the ideological differences between my father and I are not a result of learning, nor life experience, but rather a result of us not being genetically related, and the dissimilar way in which our minds function is a result of this.

I do not think there is a one size fits all answer here, different people will take different routes in developing their worldviews. Some may be more influenced by mental processes, for others it may be more dominated by a learned response.

 

[digsbe]

People who are saying it's 100% either are just plain wrong. Genes affect a person in so many different ways it's impossible for them to not affect ideology in some way. Same with the alternative.

I would personally say that ideology is mostly developed over time, with a hint of genetic influence - maybe 80/20.

Can you prove how genes affect political leans? I've taken genetics in college and we did learn about genes that can influence behavior, but I don't think there is a "liberal" or "Hindu" gene out there.