De moderne cultuur en de onttovering van de wereld: moreel relativisme en instrumenteel rationalisme in Nederland

Samenvatting

According to Inglehart, contemporary Western societies are witnessing a process of postmodernization: increasing moral relativism leading to an increase of resistance to rationalization (decline of faith in science and technology, increase of environmental concern, and increasing support of animal rights). Analyzing data collected in the Netherlands in 1998 (N = 1,848), we test this theory and study support for moral relativism and instrumental rationalism among supporters of the Dutch political parties. Although we find stronger moral relativism and weaker instrumental rationalism among the young, the former does not account for the latter. Moreover, instrumental rationalism is only weakly (negatively) related to moral relativism. Instead, it is primarily affected negatively by economic liberalism and female gender. We conclude, therefore, that Inglehart's theory is hardly supported. Supporters of political parties on the Left tend to accept moral relativism and reject instrumental rationalism, whereas the opposite holds for those on the Right. As to disenchantment with the world, the political Left and Right are both characterized by ambiguity. 3 Tables, 52 References. Adapted from the source document.