Political Hatred: Diagnosis with Dr. René Levy (Pt. 1)

Published: Jan. 13, 2021, 7 a.m.

How do we diagnose America’s political hatred today? It’s January 2021, and Americans are divided. My guest today is Dr. René Levy, the primary influence for me launching this podcast. Not a psychologist or political scientist, Dr. Levy serves as the Professor Emeritus at the University of Washington in Seattle where he served as chair of the Department of Pharmaceutics for 26 years. His interest in neuroscience results from his work in the field of epilepsy, where he’s received the highest award given by the American Epilepsy Society in recognition of lifetime accomplishment and contributions to the field. After the 2016 election, Dr. Levy wrote ‘Mending America’s Political Divide: What Science Tells Us About Solving The Political Hatred Between The Left and The Right’. This was to provide the reader not trained in science with an understanding of the new tribalism-hatred condition that leads to a practical solution. After becoming one of those readers last summer, I took the first steps to start Heal our Division. In the first of two episodes, Dr. Levy will diagnose the symptoms of America’s political divide as he would for a medical patient. In the second he’ll provide the treatment. So with no further ado, I invite you to join me as we heal the division by diagnosing the political hatred in America today.