Jonathan Haidt

Moral Foundations Theory, developed by Jonathan Haidt and his collaborators, argues that several intuitive categories structure moral judgements and that their relative importance varies notably with political orientation. Researchers have challenged the construction of certain foundations, the validity of the original questionnaire and the possibility that so-called 'binding' dimensions partly reflect group identity or motivated cognition rather than an autonomous moral domain.

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Haidt co-founded Heterodox Academy to promote viewpoint diversity, open inquiry and reduced polarisation in universities. Critics argued that the organisation amplified a conservative narrative portraying campuses as dominated by an intolerant left and that its indicators could underestimate other forms of pressure or exclusion.

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In 'The Anxious Generation', Haidt argues that the shift from a play-based childhood to one dominated by smartphones and social media played a major causal role in deteriorating adolescent mental health since the early 2010s. Psychologist Candice Odgers and other researchers considered the available observational evidence much more equivocal and insufficient to justify such a strong causal claim.

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After publication of 'The Anxious Generation', Haidt maintained an errata page correcting several statements and figures. One notable example was replacing a claim that approximately 40% of American children under 13 had created an Instagram account with a statement that approximately 40% of 9–12-year-olds used Instagram daily.

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Haidt has become a leading advocate of smartphone-free schools and notably recommends delaying children's personal access to smartphones and social media. While many schools and governments have introduced restrictions, recent research has not always found clear differences in mental health, behaviour or academic performance between schools with and without bans.

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Haidt's arguments strongly influenced the Australian debate that led to the first nationwide ban on social media accounts for under-16s. Media reports indicated that he had spoken with politicians and actively supported the measure. Mental health and youth advocacy organisations, particularly LGBTQ+ groups, criticised the speed of the process and the risk of isolating certain adolescents.

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The selection of Jonathan Haidt as a speaker at an NYU graduation ceremony in 2026 prompted student protests from those who believed his positions on identity politics, freedom of expression and campuses did not reflect the values of inclusion they wanted the event to represent.

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A study published in the American Political Science Review concluded that when participants directly compare specific moral violations, liberals and conservatives rely on sets of moral foundations that are much more similar than traditional Moral Foundations Theory questionnaires suggest. The authors consider that certain previously reported political differences may have been amplified by the measurement method.

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Together with Greg Lukianoff, Haidt argued that overprotection, content warnings, fear of disagreement and certain forms of identity politics weaken students and undermine university life. Critics regarded this interpretation as too focused on culture wars and insufficiently attentive to structural factors such as tuition costs, insecurity, discrimination and changes in the labour market.

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