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The Ideas That Rule Us: How Other People's Ideas Rule Our Lives and How to Change It
"A well-researched, thought-provoking reconsideration of society’s sacred cows."
- KIRKUS Reviews - Our GET IT
In The Ideas That Rule Us, political theory researcher, author, and entrepreneur Nathan J. Murphy takes an eye-opening, multi-disciplinary deep dive into how others’ ideologies, perceived societal norms, and pop culture influences shape our lives, through our decision-making, political affiliations, and consumer spending.
Murphy deftly weaves over 4 years of political, cognitive, and sociological research into a very relatable and practical discussion about the fascinating origins of the many influential ideas and ideologies that rule our lives. He also examines the undeniable bond between the abstract and the emotional —a relationship that plays a dominant role in the human condition… and the quality of our lived experience.
In The Ideas That Rule Us, you will
The three major ideological fights that are playing out now - and will affect societies worldwide in coming decades, including globalization, the housing crisis and drug legalization and acceptanceHow ideology has been used to change history and influence societal norms, including a three-point plan historically used by wicked elites to change the ideologies of the poor in many different countriesWhere ideologies go to die, and why major overriding ideas take 50-60 years to evolve, such as the gradual reduction in the influence of Christianity in the UK.The fascinating field of cognitive neuroscience and how different cultural environments can profoundly impact our brain function and the sort of people we eventually becomeWhether you want to understand how your social environment has impacted who you, or you’re a political activist who wants to learn how to leverage that which underlies political expression, The Ideas That Rule Us is your key to unlocking a new understanding of a very complex and influential topic.
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"Human experience is fundamentally composed of two the incoming stimulations that hit our sensory apparatus, and the ideas that we carry around about the world and which influence how we construe our perceptions. While the first is mainly governed by biological constraints, the latter is subject also to social and cultural negotiation. In his insightful book The Ideas That Rules Us, Nathan, J. Murphy walks us through an impressive amount of research and literature to investigate how systems of ideas, for instance in the form of religion, ideology and policy, come to shape our thoughts and behaviors, often in ways we are not fully aware of."
Professor Kristian Tylén
Cognitive Science and Semiotics
Aarhus University
"A broad and insightful dismantling of the constructs that influence much of our social and political environment”
Professor Andrew Barron,
School of Natural Sciences
Macquarie University
“Murphy’s book is a riveting journey into the history that shapes us and the decisions that define us. Each page shows the weight and cause of decisions in a unique and entertaining way.
In The Ideas That Rule Us, political theory researcher, author, and entrepreneur Nathan J. Murphy takes an eye-opening, multi-disciplinary deep dive into how others’ ideologies, perceived societal norms, and pop culture influences shape our lives, through our decision-making, political affiliations, and consumer spending.
Murphy deftly weaves over 4 years of political, cognitive, and sociological research into a very relatable and practical discussion about the fascinating origins of the many influential ideas and ideologies that rule our lives. He also examines the undeniable bond between the abstract and the emotional —a relationship that plays a dominant role in the human condition… and the quality of our lived experience.
In The Ideas That Rule Us, you will
The three major ideological fights that are playing out now - and will affect societies worldwide in coming decades, including globalization, the housing crisis and drug legalization and acceptanceHow ideology has been used to change history and influence societal norms, including a three-point plan historically used by wicked elites to change the ideologies of the poor in many different countriesWhere ideologies go to die, and why major overriding ideas take 50-60 years to evolve, such as the gradual reduction in the influence of Christianity in the UK.The fascinating field of cognitive neuroscience and how different cultural environments can profoundly impact our brain function and the sort of people we eventually becomeWhether you want to understand how your social environment has impacted who you, or you’re a political activist who wants to learn how to leverage that which underlies political expression, The Ideas That Rule Us is your key to unlocking a new understanding of a very complex and influential topic.
Page Up and Order Now!
"Human experience is fundamentally composed of two the incoming stimulations that hit our sensory apparatus, and the ideas that we carry around about the world and which influence how we construe our perceptions. While the first is mainly governed by biological constraints, the latter is subject also to social and cultural negotiation. In his insightful book The Ideas That Rules Us, Nathan, J. Murphy walks us through an impressive amount of research and literature to investigate how systems of ideas, for instance in the form of religion, ideology and policy, come to shape our thoughts and behaviors, often in ways we are not fully aware of."
Professor Kristian Tylén
Cognitive Science and Semiotics
Aarhus University
"A broad and insightful dismantling of the constructs that influence much of our social and political environment”
Professor Andrew Barron,
School of Natural Sciences
Macquarie University
“Murphy’s book is a riveting journey into the history that shapes us and the decisions that define us. Each page shows the weight and cause of decisions in a unique and entertaining way.
292 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 28, 2024
35 people are currently reading
67 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
May 1, 2024
Nate contends with how we ought to live with one another. He starts the journey by looking back at the contending assumptions about human nature of philosophers such as Hobbes and Rousseau and critiques them through the archaeological and anthropological empiricism of Wengrow and Graeber. He concludes that so much of current political thought that are informed by incorrect assumptions are no longer fit for purpose. He then explores what feelings are innate to all, and concludes that fairness, care and cooperation are the three legs of a stool which society requires - if any are missing, that society will be out of kilter.
Throughout his arguments, Nate shares his own experiences, thus combining this outward jihad with insight into his own internal jihad. His journey begins from parochial Cornwall where he has access to nature but not to broadened thinking. He then shifts into a corporate worklife that promotes materialism, while his life outside the office suffers from lack of regulation around the housing market and perceived over regulation in other aspects. He escapes, and assembles his meditations amidst the peace offered of the Catalonian mountains, where he built his own home.
Throughout, Nate uses simple language so as to shine a light on the fallacies of the philosophies underlying societal thought. His society based on fairness, care and cooperation makes intuitive sense and should form the basis of common ground to people across the political spectrum.
Throughout his arguments, Nate shares his own experiences, thus combining this outward jihad with insight into his own internal jihad. His journey begins from parochial Cornwall where he has access to nature but not to broadened thinking. He then shifts into a corporate worklife that promotes materialism, while his life outside the office suffers from lack of regulation around the housing market and perceived over regulation in other aspects. He escapes, and assembles his meditations amidst the peace offered of the Catalonian mountains, where he built his own home.
Throughout, Nate uses simple language so as to shine a light on the fallacies of the philosophies underlying societal thought. His society based on fairness, care and cooperation makes intuitive sense and should form the basis of common ground to people across the political spectrum.
February 9, 2025
Just fine overall. Has some interesting points about how ideas shape both individuals and societies, with some really good case studies to back it up. The exploration of how we develop and use ideas was interesting, and the societal section in the start of the second half I really enjoyed too. However, it did often felt like it was making simple concepts needlessly complex and would drag on certain points way longer than needed. The biggest issue is that while the second half had great observations about society, it felt disconnected from all the "ideas" theory built up in the first part - like two different books mashed together. I think author clearly has good insights, especially about modern society, but struggles to tie everything together cohesively. Not a waste of time, but not something I would see myself rereading in the future.
February 5, 2025
It was a challenge to read a book in a language that is not my native one, but I learned a lot from it. It was fascinating to understand how ideas are connected to genetics and how we can change the ideas we hold. This book helped me gain a deeper understanding of how societies function and made me more tolerant of other people's viewpoints. I also realized the importance of communicating my true values while respecting those of others.
September 11, 2024
An extremely thought-provoking book and probably one that everyone should read. I recommend it to anyone who feels they want to get more out of life.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews