Biography of Jonathan Haidt

Jonathan Haidt is an American social psychologist, professor, and author recognized for his work on morality, moral emotions, and cultural psychology. Originally from Scarsdale, New York, Haidt was raised to take pride in his Jewish heritage. He had what he describes as a free-range childhood, which was crucial in his developing a sense of independence. The freedom to explore his environment and his intellectual curiosities primed a career in studying the foundations of morality and how it differs across cultures and political groups.

Haidt recounts a period in his early college years (as an undergraduate studying philosophy at Yale) where he identified strongly with atheism. However, despite remaining a self-proclaimed secular atheist scientist, Haidt’s hostility toward religion diminished over the course of his studies as he opened his mind to other ways of thought. He pursued a Master's and later a PhD in psychology at the University of Pennsylvania. For 16 years, he taught in the department of psychology at the University of Virginia. In 2011, he became the Professor of Ethical Leadership at New York University’s Stern School of Business. He describes his main goal as helping people coexist across lines of moral differences and political polarization.

Haidt is known for developing Moral Foundations Theory, which posits that moral reasoning stems from innate intuitions rather than pure logic. He has also co-founded organizations such as Heterodox Academy (a nonprofit promoting viewpoint diversity in higher education) and The Constructive Dialogue Institute (which facilitates healthy debates). Haidt’s various bestselling books draw from the fields of psychology, philosophy, political science, and cultural studies to address the general public. They range in topic from individual flourishing to political division to technology and cultural trends.