Jonathan Haidt

About the author

Born in New York City in 1963, Jonathan Haidt is an American social psychologist and Thomas Cooley Professor of Ethical Leadership at NYU Stern School of Business. His most influential scientific contribution is moral foundations theory, which traces human moral reasoning to innate gut feelings rather than logic, and links different moral priorities to distinct political ideologies. A prolific author for general audiences, his books include The Happiness Hypothesis (2006), The Righteous Mind (2012), The Coddling of the American Mind (2018), and The Anxious Generation (2024), which argues smartphones and overprotective parenting have fueled rising mental illness.