Minds Wide Shut: How the New Fundamentalisms Divide Us

In Minds Wide Shut, Gary Saul Morson and Morton Schapiro examine the rise of fundamentalist thinking in politics, economics, religion, and literature, and propose alternatives to promote open-mindedness and meaningful dialogue.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 344 pages
Publication date: 31 January 2023
Publisher: Princeton University Press

Polarization is putting democracy to the test, but few have investigated the underlying, interrelated factors that have contributed to this crisis. Literary scholar Gary Saul Morson and economist Morton Schapiro have identified a rise in "fundamentalist" thinking across various fields, which they describe in their book Minds Wide Shut as rigid adherence to ideological thinking that has altered politics, economics, religion, and literature in mutually reinforcing and antithetical ways to the open-mindedness and readiness to compromise that animate democracy.

Morson and Schapiro argue that fundamentalist thinking is not limited to any one political camp but is prevalent across the political spectrum. This results in dueling monologues of shouting and abuse between those who are certain that they cannot be wrong, that truth and justice are all on their side, and that there is nothing to learn from their opponents, who must be evil or deluded.

However, Morson and Schapiro propose alternatives that could lead to meaningful dialogue again. They draw on thinkers and writers from across the humanities and social sciences to demonstrate how we can return to meaningful dialogue through case-based reasoning, objective analyses, lessons drawn from literature, and more.

The result of their approach is a powerful invitation to leave behind simplification, rigidity, and extremism and move toward a future of greater open-mindedness, moderation, and, perhaps, even wisdom. Minds Wide Shut offers a valuable contribution to our understanding of the forces that are shaping our world and provides practical strategies for navigating the challenges we face.

Weight: 468g
Dimension: 140 x 217 x 23 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780691214924