The Ideological Brain - by Leor Zmigrod (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

Why do some people become radicalized?
How do ideologies shape the human brain?
And how can we unchain our minds from toxic dogmas?

In The Ideological Brain, 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.

This authoritative, accessible and playful blend of psychology, politics and philosophy explores the cutting-edge of the emerging field of political neuroscience. Zmigrod examines its historical roots before she looks to the future, considering the broader social and political implications of her groundbreaking research. Guiding readers through her experiments, she eventually describes what a free, authentic, and tolerant brain looks like, and explains how anyone can keep their mind open and flexible in the face of extremist ideologies.

Review Quotes

"Filled with insightful findings, this book shows that ideological extremism and polarization are not just problems to fret about but puzzles that can be studied and understood."
--Steven Pinker, Johnstone Family Professor of Psychology at Harvard University and author of Rationality

"This remarkable book tells us something fascinating and heartening about the neuroscience of our inflexibilities and our dogmatisms. Lucid and eloquent, The Ideological Brain couldn't be more timely."
--Adam Phillips, author of Missing Out

"Fascinating, insightful, lucidly and entertainingly written, Zmigrod's account illuminates the debate about the nature of ideology and the power it exerts, by bringing cognitive neuroscience-in fact, an intriguing development of it: 'political neuroscience'-to bear on both. An educative, rewarding, troubling, but ultimately hopeful, book."
--A. C. Grayling, author of The History of Philosophy

"An extraordinary, eye-opening, and startlingly original book, showing what ideology does to the human brain, and casting a bright new light on the sources and nature of dogmatism, ideology. and open-mindedness. Packed with insights, this is a remarkable achievement."
--Cass R. Sunstein, Robert Walmsley University Professor at Harvard University and author of Decisions About Decisions

About the Author

Dr. Leor Zmigrod is a prize-winning scientist and pioneer in the field of political neuroscience. She studied at Cambridge University as a Gates Scholar before winning a Junior Research Fellowship at Churchill College, Cambridge in 2019 at just 24 years old. Zmigrod has published over 30 peer-reviewed papers and has held visiting fellowships at Stanford, Harvard and both the Berlin and Paris Institutes for Advanced Study. She was listed on Forbes 30 Under 30 in Science and has won numerous prizes, including the Women of the Future Science Award. She has spoken at the Hay Festival and TEDx and her research has been featured widely in the media, including in The New York Times, Guardian, Financial Times and New Scientist. Zmigrod advises policymakers at the United Nations, the UK and US governments, and other international organizations. The Ideological Brain is her first book.