The Righteous Mind - by Jonathan Haidt

About the Book

A groundbreaking investigation into the origins of morality, which turns out to be the basis for religion and politics. The book is timely (explaining the American culture wars and refuting the "New Atheists"), scholarly (integrating insights from many fields), and great fun to read.

Book Synopsis

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER - The #1 bestselling author of The Anxious Generation and acclaimed social psychologist challenges conventional thinking about morality, politics, and religion in a way that speaks to conservatives and liberals alike--a "landmark contribution to humanity's understanding of itself" (The New York Times Book Review).

Drawing on his twenty-five years of groundbreaking research on moral psychology, Jonathan Haidt shows how moral judgments arise not from reason but from gut feelings. He shows why liberals, conservatives, and libertarians have such different intuitions about right and wrong, and he shows why each side is actually right about many of its central concerns.

In this subtle yet accessible book, Haidt gives you the key to understanding the miracle of human cooperation, as well as the curse of our eternal divisions and conflicts. If you're ready to trade in anger for understanding, read The Righteous Mind.

Review Quotes

"Haidt is looking for more than victory. He's looking for wisdom. That's what makes The Righteous Mind well worth reading...a landmark contribution to humanity's understanding of itself." -New York Times Book Review

"Jonathan Haidt is one of smartest and most creative psychologists alive, and his newest book, The Righteous Mind, is a tour de force--a brave, brilliant and eloquent exploration of the most important issues of our time. It will challenge the way you think about liberals and conservatives, atheism and religion, good and evil. This is the book that everyone will be talking about."--Paul Bloom, Yale University, Author of How Pleasure Works

"As a fellow who listens to heated political debate daily, I was fascinated, enlightened, and even amused by Haidt's brilliant insights. This penetrating yet accessible book will help readers understand the righteous minds that inhabit politics." --Larry Sabato, University of Virginia, author of A More Perfect Constitution

"A remarkable and original synthesis of social psychology, political analysis, and moral reasoning that reflects the best of sciences in these fields and adds evidence that we are innately capable of the decency and righteousness needed for societies to survive." --Edward O. Wilson, University Research Professor Emeritus, Harvard University

"Here is the first attempt to give an in depth analysis of the underlying moral stance and dispositions of liberals and conservatives. I couldn't put it down and discovered things about myself!" --Michael Gazzaniga, University of California, Santa Barbara, author of The Ethical Brain

"Haidt's a good thing." -The Atlantic online

"A well-informed tour of contemporary moral psychology...A cogent rendering of a moral universe of fertile complexity and latent flexibility." -Kirkus

"[Haidt's] framework for the different moral universes of liberals and conservatives struck me as a brilliant breakthrough...The Righteous Mind provides an invaluable road map." -Miller-McCune.com

"A much-needed voice of moral sanity." -Booklist

"An important and timely book...His ideas are controversial but they make you think...Haidt has made his reputation as a social psychologist at the University of Virginia, where he and his colleagues explore reason and intuition, why people disagree so passionately and how the moral mind works." --Bill Moyers, Moyers & Company

"Highly readable, highly insightful...The principal posture in which one envisions him is that of a scrappy, voluble, discerning patriot standing between the warring factions in American politics urging each to see the other's viewpoint, to stop demonizing, bashing, clobbering...Haidt's real contribution, in my judgment, is inviting us all to sit at the table." -Washington Times

"Haidt's work feels particularly relevant now...The Righteous Mind isn't just election-year reading. Haidt's perspective can help us better understand our own political and religious leanings." -San Francisco Chronicle

"Ingenious prose...Beautifully written, Haidt's book shines a new and creative light on moral psychology and presents a provocative message." -Science

"A profound discussion of the diverse psychological roots of morality and their role in producing political conflicts. It's not too much to hope that the book will help to reduce those conflicts." --Richard E. Nisbett, University of Michigan, author of The Geography of Thought

"The Righteous Mind refutes the 'New Atheists' and shows that religion is a central part of our moral heritage. Haidt's brilliant synthesis shows that Christians have nothing to fear and much to gain from the evolutionary paradigm."--Michael Dowd, author of Thank God for Evolution

"Haidt's research has revolutionized the field of moral psychology. This elegantly written book has far-reaching implications for anyone interested in politics, religion, or the many controversies that divide modern societies. If you want to know why you hold your moral beliefs, and why many people disagree with you, read this book". --Simon Baron-Cohen, Cambridge University, Author of The Science of Evil

"The Righteous Mind is an intellectual tour de force that brings Darwinian theorizing to the practical realm of everyday politics. The book is beautifully written, and it is truly unusual to encounter a book that makes a major theoretical contribution yet encourages one to turn its pages enthusiastically." --Christopher Boehm, University of Southern California, author of Moral Origins.

"A rich, intriguing contribution to positive psychology. Recommended." -Choice Magazine

"Can help bridge the ever-widening gaps that occur in politics...This is not one of those books where a researcher boils down a complex subject into a simple tag line. Haidt takes readers on a journey through that complexity, so that we can understand the nuances and contradictions inherent in human morality." -Psychology News

About the Author

Jonathan Haidt is the Thomas Cooley Professor of Ethical Leadership at New York University's Stern School of Business. He is the author of The Happiness Hypothesis: Finding Modern Truth in Ancient Wisdom. He lives in New York City.