Last week, I wrote about how Jonathan Haidt argues that there is more to morality than harm and fairness, and how we might categorize moral thinking into three broad ethics that societies build around:

1. Ethic of Autonomy

2. Ethic of Community

3. Ethic of Divinity

Still though, Haidt believed that there is more nuance to the moral mind than these three broad ethics can define. In observing different societies and cultures around the world—and their unique ways of dealing with moral quandaries—Haidt developed a theory of morality around five foundations or “taste receptors.”

“Just like we all have the same five taste receptors but prefer different foods, we all have these same five moral foundations, but in different proportions.”

These foundations are:

1. Care/Harm

2. Fairness/Cheating

3. Loyalty/Betrayal

4. Authority/Subversion

5. Sanctity/Degradation

Moral Taste Receptors and Politics

What’s particularly interesting about these taste receptors, in my opinion, is how they play out in modern American political discourse. Let’s take a closer look at each foundation and examine how they are used between conservatives and liberals.

Carm/Harm foundation prioritizes empathy and compassion for others in making moral choices. Both conservatives and liberals rely on the Care/Harm foundation but in slightly different ways according to Haidt. For example, liberal talking points often center around “saving the planet” or “save Darfur” or other causes while conservative talking points often prioritize “Wounded Warriors” and caring for people who have sacrificed a lot for this country.

Fairness/cheating foundation prioritizes justice and cooperation. Both liberals and conservatives care about fairness/cheating but in different ways. For example, liberals often believe that rich people should be taxed more so that they pay their “fair share” while conservatives argue that liberals want to take money from hardworking people and give it to lazy people. For liberals, fairness is about equality while for conservatives fairness is about proportionality.

Loyalty/betrayal foundation emphasizes patriotism and self-sacrifice. Conservatives appeal to the loyalty foundation with “America first” foreign policy and broad support for American exceptionalism.

Authority/subversion foundation prioritizes tradition and leadership. Conservatives appeal to this foundation with broad support for the police and a hierarchical structure to society.

Sanctity/degradation foundation emphasizes the value of purity and sanctity. This foundation is the reason why many people believe that humans are not mere animals but actually house an immortal soul that requires more sacred respect. Conservatives rely on this foundation when talking about the