We live in polarizing times. It's tempting to see the great political divide between liberals and conservatives as a recent phenomenon. A brief look at the historical roots of liberalism and conservatism shows that these conflicts began generations ago. Modern psychological research offers some understanding of these divergent ways of thinking. It helps to view these differences from the perspective of a parable.

The parable of the blind men and the elephant appears in the earliest Buddhist writings. Versions of it appear in many religious traditions. In the story, a group of blind men stumble upon a creature they have never met. One holds the elephant's tusk and says, “This is like a spear.” Another man holds the ear and says, “No, you’re wrong. It’s far more like a fan.” Another has the tail and exclaims, “You morons! This creature is like a snake.” Another man rests his palms on the elephant's sides and sighs, “I do not understand how you cannot see this creature is like a wall.” The last blind man, holding the leg of the elephant, exclaims, “None of you make any sense at all. This creature is clearly like a tree.”

Much human conflict stems from the certainty that our way of viewing the world is the one right and true version. We make decisions about our political ideals and values based on our own limited experience. Conservative and liberal perspectives emerged from each founder's life experiences.

Edmund Burke (1729-1797) was an Anglo/Irish member of the British parliament, a prolific writer, and philosopher. His family roots go way back to Anglo/Irish aristocracy. He believed that religion, institutions, and tradition preserved society best. He opposed the Enlightenment values of Jean-Jacques Rousseau. The Enlightenment ideals of reason and principles were dangerously destabilizing to society, according to Burke. He preferred tradition as the foundation of a healthy society. 20th-century American conservatives embraced Burke's ideas.

Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778) did not have the comfortable relationship with established authority that Burke enjoyed. His mother died when he was nine days old. His father kept getting in trouble and had to flee the country when........

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