The Righteous Mind

‘s Moral Foundations Theory

The Moral Foundations Theory was created by Jonathan Haidt, a social psychologist. The theory posits that there are six moral foundations that are universal across cultures: care/harm, fairness/cheating, liberty/oppression, loyalty/betrayal, authority/subversion, and sanctity/degradation. People differ in how they weight these foundations, and this weighting can predict political orientation.

The Righteous Mind is a book about the psychology of morality. The author, Jonathan Haidt, is a professor of social psychology at the University of Virginia. The book explores the origins of moral judgment, and how our moral intuitions guide our emotions and behavior. Haidt argues that our moral judgments are the product of an evolutionary process, and that we are not always rational when we make them. The book has been praised by many reviewers, and has been described as “fascinating”, “thought-provoking”, and “insightful”.

Other books by Jonathan Haidt include The Happiness Hypothesis and The Righteous Mind.

In The Righteous Mind, Jonathan Haidt argues that morality is not simply a matter of reason, but is also heavily influenced by emotion and intuition. He observes that people often have strong moral convictions even when they cannot provide a rational justification for them.

Haidt suggests that our moral intuitions are shaped by evolution and our social environment. He argues that we are designed to be cooperative beings, and that our morality is a result of our need to live in groups. He also observes that we are heavily influenced by our culture, and that our morality is often shaped by our religious beliefs.

Overall, Haidt provides a detailed and provocative account of the role of emotion and intuition in moral decision-making. His argument has important implications for our understanding of human nature and the origins of morality.