Cornel West vs. Jonathan Haidt

Jonathan West The authors Jonathan Haidt and Cornel West are two authors that in fact happen to both be professors at major colleges that somewhat recently have written the works The Righteous Mind and “The Moral Obligations of Living in a Democratic Society”. A lot of similarities are found between the two authors; one of them being that their works are based generally about calling to action for change in America in how it functions but they do differ in the way they deliver their logic or reasoning. The intellect these authors have is incredible and both do a wonderful job in expressing how they feel. Haidt and West both have readings that first introduce you with current issues with America and then that is followed with reasons why change needs to be made. Most of the text revolves around morality and how it has changed over time. Right away the authors throw at us harsh sneak peeks of the future if no rework is done. One example of these “sneak peeks” by Cornel West is “Or will it be the case that we shall witness in the twenty-first century the unleashing of new, unnamable and indescribable forms of agony and anguish?” (Houser, Riley, Torrens 159) This is one of the strategies West and Haidt used frequently where they attempt to
Lara 2 scare you of what America might come to with the expectancy that people will make changes to avoid so. The “Call for action” element comes shortly before the reading concludes where they explicitly tell you something needs to be done or consequences will come. West’s example is “To be a part of the democratic tradition is to be a prisoner of hope. And you cannot be a prisoner of hope without engaging in a form of struggle in the present moment that keeps the best of the past alive.” (164). It is made clear; especially after this quote, that West expects us to bring the good of the past in to the future. The similarity between West and Haidt definitely remains because Haidt seems to expect the