The Moral Value Dilemma

It's probably apparent to the hypothetical reader of this blog (if in fact there are any out there) that two of the main themes discussed in this blog are the Buddhist concept of samskara (schema) and the tensions of being a liberal progressive living in a deeply red state.  The common zone in the Venn diagram of these two themes can be described by the question, "How can otherwise intelligent people be conservatives?" while knowing full well that others are asking "How can otherwise intelligent people be liberals?"

I've been approaching an answer to these questions in the context of schemata, or mental maps and models. Conservatism, it would seem from this context, is an inability to create new schema when conditions change, instead clinging to tried-and-true but possibly outdated and inaccurate mental models of the world.  On the other hand, it could be argued that extreme liberalism is an inability to retain useful schema, abandoning the values and useful lessons learned form the past.

In this very entertaining and enlightening TED talk, psychologist Jonathan Haidt re-frames the issue and presents the differences not in terms of the ability to create or retain schemata, but in terms of moral values.  And like my thesis of samskara, he even finds Buddhist parallels to his case.    

This is going to take some thought and consideration, but I wonder if there isn't a way to synthesize these two theorems.