Outraged: Why We Fight About Morality and Politics and How to Find Common Ground

by Kurt Gray

Overview

A groundbreaking new perspective on the moral mind that rewrites our understanding of where moral judgments come from, and how we can overcome the feelings of outrage that so often divide us

It’s easy to assume that liberals and conservatives have radically different moral foundations. In Outraged, Kurt Gray showcases the latest science to demonstrate that we all have the same moral mind—that everyone’s moral judgments stem from feeling threatened or vulnerable to harm.

We all care about protecting ourselves and the vulnerable. Conflict arises, however, when we have different perceptions of harm. We get outraged when we disagree about who the “real” victim is, whether we’re talking about political issues, fights with our in-laws, or arguments on the playground.

In this fascinating and insightful tour of our moral minds, Gray tackles popular myths that prevent us from understanding ourselves and those around us. While it is commonly believed that our ancestors were apex predators, Gray argues that for the majority of our evolutionary history, humans were more hunted than hunter. This explains why our minds are hard-wired to perceive threats, and provides surprising insights on the scientific origins of our values and beliefs. Though we might think ourselves driven by objective reasoning, Gray unveils new research that finds our moral judgments are based on gut feelings rather than rational thought, and presents a compelling reminder that we are more alike than we might think.

Drawing on groundbreaking research, Gray provides a captivating new explanation for our moral outrage, and unpacks how to best bridge divides. If you want to understand the morals of the “other side,” ask yourself a simple question—what harms do they see?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780593317433
Publisher:	Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group
Publication date:	01/14/2025
Pages:	368
Sales rank:	560,228
Product dimensions:	6.12(w) x 9.25(h) x 1.03(d)

About the Author

KURT GRAY is a Professor in Psychology and Neuroscience at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he directs the Deepest Beliefs Lab and the Center for the Science of Moral Understanding. He received a PhD in Social Psychology from Harvard University.

With over 120 published scientific papers, he explores the psychology of morality, politics, religion and AI. Gray is the recipient of numerous early-career and best paper awards, and his findings has been featured in New York Times, the Economist, Scientific American, Wired, and Hidden Brain. He is a regular guest on podcasts and has spoken at multiple TEDx events.

Gray is the co-author of the book The Mind Club: Who Thinks, What Feels and Why it Matters (Viking). He was almost a geophysicist, but a night trapped in the Canadian wilderness convinced him otherwise.

Editorial Reviews

A riveting read on the roots of our bitterest conflicts—and the remedies for them. One of the leading lights in moral psychology overturns widespread assumptions about why we’re divided and reveals how we can come together.”
—Adam Grant, #1 New York Times best-selling author of Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don’t Know and host of the podcast Re: Thinking
 
“Moral outrage ruins friendships, families, democracies, and lives. Where does it come from, how much is too much, and what can be done about it? In this deeply and thoughtful and highly readable book, Kurt Gray offers provocative answers to these and other important questions about the endless seething to with Americans are becoming increasingly addicted.”
—Daniel Gilbert, New York Times best-selling author of Stumbling on Happiness, Edgar Pierce Professor of Psychology, and host of the PBS television series This Emotional Life
 
“Powerful insights that will change how you see the world (and hopefully make you a little less angry).”
—Jonah Berger, best-selling author of Contagious: Why Things Catch On and The Catalyst: How to Change Anyone’s Mind, and Wharton Professor
 
“Outrage has become our culture’s poorly chosen wallpaper: it’s ugly, everywhere, and all we can do is get used to it. In this brilliant book, Kurt Gray challenges us to think differently. A leader in the science of morality, Gray convincingly paints a new picture of outrage, as a response to harm. This new lens can revolutionize our perception of conflict and what we can do about it. Human care has been contorted into anger and even hatred, but by applying more curiosity, we can rediscover common values.”
—Jamil Zaki, author of Hope for Cynics: The Surprising Science of Human Goodness and Stanford Professor
 
“We’re living in the age out outrage, but why? Kurt Gray helps us make sense of the rampant moral superiority seen at every turn and gives us hope that there’s a better way forward. I can’t remember the last time I had so many Aha moments reading a book!”
—Scott Barry Kaufman, author of Transcend: The New Science of Self-Actualization and host of The Psychology podcast
 
“What an enlightening and enjoyable read! I learned so much from Outraged, especially about how to bridge differences between people with very different identities, ideologies and views about harm. In a diverse democracy, nothing is more important than that.”
—Eboo Patel, author of We Need To Build: Field Notes for Diverse Democracy and Founder and President of Interfaith America
 
“Feeling outraged? Read this book. In this divided world, Outraged offers a much-needed, scientifically-grounded framework that can help defuse moral conflict by making sense of it, and putting us on the pathway we need towards better, more humanizing interactions.”
—Hahrie Han, author of Undivided: The Quest for Racial Solidarity in an American Church

From the Publisher