The ideological brain : the radical science of flexible thinking Cover Image

Book

The ideological brain : the radical science of flexible thinking / Leor Zmigrod.

Summary:

"Why do some people become radicalized? How do ideologies shape the human brain? And how can we unchain our minds from toxic dogmas? In [this book], Leor Zmigrod reveals the deep connection between political beliefs and the biology of the brain. Drawing on her own pioneering research, she uncovers the complex interplay between biology and environment that predisposes some individuals to rigid ways of thinking, and explains how ideologies take hold of our brains, fundamentally changing the way we think, act, and interact with others. She shows how ideologues of all types struggle to change their thought patterns when faced with new information, culminating in the radical message that our politics are not superficial but are woven into the fabric of our minds"-- Provided by publisher.

Record details

ISBN: 9781250344595
ISBN: 125034459X
Physical Description: xii, 287 pages ; 25 cm
Edition: First U.S. edition.
Publisher: New York : Henry Holt and Company, 2025.
Copyright: ©2025

Content descriptions

Bibliography, etc. Note:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Formatted Contents Note:

Action potential -- Ideological possession -- An experiment -- Metaphors we believe by -- The birth of ideology -- The age of illusions -- Being a brain -- Thinking, ideologically -- A chicken-and-egg problem -- Young authoritarians -- Brainwashing a baby -- The rigid mind -- The dogmatic gene -- Darwin's secret -- Poliptical illusions -- Your emotional fingertips -- An ideology walks into a brain scanner -- Spiraling in and out -- The importance of being nested -- Otherwise -- Epilogue: Going off-script.