The “core foundations” and supposedly “higher moral faculties” are very vague. So are the ideological identifications, of course. But I wonder how they propose to turn “individualizing” and “binding” scientifically into ideological tags. Except by asking the subjects. But what do young people know about themselves? I suppose it doesn’t matter, since whatever they say matches up in an objective pattern with the brainscans and the foundations/faculties, no matter what we call them.
I just wonder what substance there is to thinking such vagueries can determine abstract questions like how big a problem is the deficit or ought we to go to war over Iranian nukes. Obviously the parties are cut generally along sentimental lines. And philosophically on the whole conservatives I’ve always thought were more individualistic and liberals collectivist. Unless you’re talking about sec and drugs on the one side and national defense on the other.
Psychology and neuroscience are closely enough related. Of course the former is a pretender. Sociology is linked to the former but not the latter. Political science has become a philosophy/sociology hybrid. Here you have neuroscience making claims on philosophy when it’s four times removed. All it can really say is kids who claim to be so-and-so share like brains, and their brains match up with states we’ve given pretentious emotional names. Amidst admissions that it’s all more complicated than we’ll ever know materialism continues it’s long campaign to conquer all.
Thought is determined by matter and environment. That’s what they think and that’s what you’ll think dang blast it.
Psychology is mostly solid and reproducible, IMHO. Psychologists can prescribe some psych meds depending on location, IIRC.