The ‘Culture of Honor’ in Citizens' Concepts of Their Duty
30 Pages Posted: 19 Jun 2010
Date Written: June 18, 2010
Abstract
Web studies explored citizens' concepts of their duty and their choices concerning actual policies. Some people see a moral duty to support their group (their nation) regardless of harmful effects on outsiders. One study supports the hypothesis that this duty avoids betrayal of the nation, which they see as granting the right to vote for the purpose of advancing national interest. Some also see a duty to defend their self-interest through voting; many think this is a rational way to pursue their interests. Another justification is, “If [the voter] does not look out for her own interests, nobody else will.” I hypothesize a norm of responsibility for self-defense, the “culture of honor'” (Cohen & Nisbett, 1994) in all of us. Yet politics is by design an inefficient way to pursue self-interest, although it is efficient for advancing the good of all.
Keywords: voting, self-interest, moral judgment, duty, parochialism
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