Tribal hostility in political conflict
Abstract
Hostile political conflict is one of the paramount stories of modern society, with the left and right coalescing into opposing tribes more concerned with defeating each other than advancing society. A serious effort in this chapter to understand both sides as they themselves see the world concludes that the left and right have grown apart because of emphasizing different but essential ingredients to societal success. Cultural animal theory emphasizes that human traits result from biological adaptations to make culture possible. To succeed, cultural systems must create more resources than solitary individuals and share them through the group. In the modern world, the political left focuses on sharing (redistribution) while the political right focuses on amassing resources (growth and preservation). These two essential tasks have come to favor opposing policies, such as when growth depends on a market economy that works by incentives and therefore inevitably creates inequality. Differences in moral values, attitudes, vote-pandering strategies, and more follow from this basic difference.