Jonathan Haidt

Jonathan David Haidt (born October 19, 1963) is an American social psychologist and author. He is currently the Thomas Cooley Professor of Ethical Leadership at the New York University Stern School of Business. Haidt's main areas of study revolve around the psychology of morality and moral emotions. He is best known for his contributions to moral foundations theory, which seeks to explain the evolutionary origins of human moral reasoning based on innate gut feelings rather than logical reasoning. This theory has been extended to analyze the relationship between moral reasoning and political ideology. Haidt has written three books for general audiences, including 'The Happiness Hypothesis: Finding Modern Truth in Ancient Wisdom' (2006).