Jonathan Haidt | |
|---|---|
 Haidt in 2012 | |
| Born | October 19, 1963 New York City, U.S. |
| Education | Yale University (BA) University of Pennsylvania (MA, PhD) |
| Known for | |
| Notable work | The Happiness Hypothesis (2006) The Righteous Mind (2012) The Coddling of the American Mind (2018) The Anxious Generation (2024) |
| Awards | Templeton Prize in Positive Psychology (2001) American Academy of Arts and Sciences (2019) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Social psychology Moral psychology |
| Institutions | University of Chicago University of Virginia New York University |
| Thesis | Moral Judgment, Affect, and Culture, or, Is it Wrong to Eat Your Dog? (1992) |
| Doctoral advisor | Jonathan Baron Alan Fiske |
| Website | jonathanhaidt |
Jonathan David Haidt (/haɪt/; born October 19, 1963) is an American social psychologist and author. He is the Thomas Cooley Professor of Ethical Leadership at the New York University Stern School of Business.[1] His main areas of study are the psychology of morality and moral emotions.[2]
Haidt's main scientific contributions come from the psychological field of moral foundations theory,[3] which attempts to explain the evolutionary origins of human moral reasoning on the basis of innate, gut feelings rather than logic and reason.[4] The theory was later extended to explain the different moral reasoning and how they relate to political ideology, with different political orientations prioritizing different sets of morals.[5] The research served as a foundation for future books on various topics.
Haidt has written multiple books for general audiences, including The Happiness Hypothesis (2006) examining the relationship between ancient philosophies and modern science,[6] The Righteous Mind (2012) on moral politics,[7] and The Coddling of the American Mind (2018) on rising political polarization, mental health, and college culture. In 2024, he published The Anxious Generation, arguing that the rise of smartphones and overprotective parenting have led to a "rewiring" of childhood and a rise in mental illness.
- ^ "Jonathan Haidt – Thomas Cooley Professor of Ethical Leadership". New York University Stern School of Business.
- ^ Saletan, William (March 23, 2012). "Why Won't They Listen?". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved July 19, 2024.
- ^ McNerney, Samuel. "Jonathan Haidt and the Moral Matrix: Breaking Out of Our Righteous Minds". Scientific American. Retrieved July 25, 2019.
- ^ "The moral matrix that influences the way people vote". The Guardian. November 14, 2016. Retrieved July 25, 2019.
- ^ Winerman, Lea. "Civil discourse in an uncivil world". American Psychological Association. Retrieved July 25, 2019.
- ^ Ott, Jan (February 20, 2007). "Jonathan Haidt, The Happiness Hypothesis; Putting Ancient Wisdom to the Test of Modern Science". Journal of Happiness Studies. 8 (2): 297. doi:10.1007/s10902-007-9049-2.
- ^ Saletan, William (March 23, 2012). "The Righteous Mind, by Jonathan Haidt". The New York Times. Retrieved December 19, 2018.