What’s so Wrong about being Absolutely Right?: A Discussion on the Origins and Psychology of Dogmatic Thinking and Ideology.
Pt. 1
Audio for both parts here!
What does it mean when we say someone is being dogmatic? Are only religious fundamentalists capable of dogmatic thinking? Can science-based atheists be dogmatic? What is the difference between dogmatism and ideology? Why do people engage in dogmatic thinking in the first place; is it biological, sociological or psychological or all of the above? And, what can we do to limit dogmatic thinking?
These questions and more will be discussed in a special two-part program with clinical psychologist Judy Johnson and social psychologist John Jost. If we want to get to the reasons why some feel religion and politics are so contentious, and even dangerous, we probably should be focusing on how people behave within religious or political frameworks. If we want to build a more humanistic, less dangerous world, we must then learn what we should be doing to avoid the potential dangers therein. We hope this program will offer some of those answers as well as tools toward creating a healthier society.
The audio for this program, which aired in two parts on March 29th and April 5th, can be found on the April archives page. Please note that this audio is an EXTENDED version containing two questions not aired on WBAI-NY; one of these concerns the question of whether authoritarian persons or societies are a normal part of human nature, or a sign of either an unhealthy individual or society, while the other is a personal question the host asks regarding his own possible dogmatic tendencies.