Jonathan Haidt

Jonathan Haidt

Keynote Speaker: Social Psychologist & Thomas Cooley Professor of Ethical Leadership at New York University's Stern School of Business; Best-Selling Author, "The Righteous Mind," "The Coddling of the American Mind" & "The Anxious Generation"

Jonathan Haidt Biography

Jonathan Haidt is a social psychologist and the Thomas Cooley Professor of Ethical Leadership at New York University’s Stern School of Business. His research focuses on morality––its emotional foundations, cultural variations, and developmental course. He began his career studying the negative moral emotions, such as disgust, shame, and vengeance but then moved on to the understudied positive moral emotions, such as admiration, awe, and moral elevation.

Haidt is the co-developer of Moral Foundations Theory and of the research site YourMorals.org. He uses his research to help people understand and respect the moral motives of people with whom they disagree. He won three teaching awards from the University of Virginia and one from the governor of Virginia. His four TED talks have been viewed more than 8 million times. (Those talks are on political psychology, on religion, on the causes of America’s political polarization, and on how America can heal after the bitter 2016 election.)

He was named a “top 100 global thinker” in 2012 by Foreign Policy magazine and one of the 65 “World Thinkers of 2013” by Prospect magazine. He is the author of more than 100 academic articles and multiple books, including "The Happiness Hypothesis: Finding Modern Truth in Ancient Wisdom," "The Righteous Mind: Why Good People are Divided by Politics and Religion," and "The Coddling of the American Mind: How Good Intentions and Bad Ideas are Setting Up a Generation for Failure." The last two books became New York Times best sellers. In 2024, he published "The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness."

At NYU-Stern, he is applying his research on moral psychology to business ethics, asking how companies can structure and run themselves in ways that will be resistant to ethical failures. Haidt is also working on increasing viewpoint diversity in the academy via Heterodox Academy, a collaboration among nearly 6000 professors who are working to increase viewpoint diversity and freedom of inquiry in universities. He is also the co-founder of the Constructive Dialogue Institute (formerly OpenMind) and its main offering, Perspectives, an educational program that teaches people and groups how to have productive conversations across many lines of difference.

Haidt received his B.A. from Yale University in 1985 and his Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania in 1992. He then did postdoctoral research at the University of Chicago and in Orissa, India. He was a professor at the University of Virginia from 1995 until 2011 when he joined the Stern School of Business.

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Jonathan Haidt Speaking Topics

Finding Happiness Using Ancient Wisdom and Modern Psychology

In addition to his work in moral psychology, Jonathan Haidt is one of the leading researchers in the field of positive psychology—the scientific study of human flourishing. His first book, The Happiness Hypothesis: Finding Modern Truth in Ancient Wisdom, is a classic in that field. In this crowd-pleasing talk, Haidt lays out the ideas of the ancients on the causes of human happiness and then applies modern research to identify where the ancients were right, and where they went wrong. It turns out that happiness doesn’t just come from within, or from reducing attachments to the world, as many ancient philosophers advised. For modern people, happiness comes from deep attachments and engagements—with other people, with work and with something larger than themselves.

Ethical Leadership

It is commonly said that good ethics is good business, but how can a leader put that advice into action—and assure shareholders that he or she is creating long-term value? Jonathan Haidt’s job as the Thomas Cooley Professor of Ethical Leadership at NYU Stern is to answer such questions. To do so, he became one of the founding members of the largest collaboration in the world of researchers who study ethics in organizations (visit www.EthicalSystems.org). The researchers at that site have put their minds together to offer advice on everything from ethical leadership to reducing conflicts of interest and accounting fraud. In this talk, Haidt starts by making the business case for a strong commitment to ethics, and then shows you how you can do “ethical systems design”—you can make small changes and “nudges” that will have a big impact on ethical behavior and, in the long run, on trust, cooperation and profitability.

Politics and Polarization

Why is America so divided and politically dysfunctional? Why are American institutions and religious organizations increasingly torn apart over “culture war” issues such as gay marriage? In this talk, Jonathan Haidt shows how the moral mind is prepared and pre-structured to bind people together into teams that then go blind to the ideas and virtues of their opponents. Haidt presents his own research, based on data from over 300,000 people, to show how liberals (progressives), conservatives and libertarians construct radically different moral “matrices”—networks of values and beliefs—that lead them to radically different views on policy and social issues. This talk can be customized to focus on A) how organizations or countries can reduce moral polarization, B) how to improve political appeals across moral matrices, or C) the unique and nearly unstudied psychology and ideology of libertarians.

How to Work with Righteous Minds

Why is it so difficult to persuade people, change their minds, or otherwise get them to see things your way? Because the human mind is fundamentally intuitive, not logical. In this talk, Jonathan Haidt presents the three basic principles of moral psychology and shows how they can be used to strengthen relationships, prepare the ground for persuasion, and then persuade. Haidt offers a map of the moral mind, including his research on the six psychological foundations upon which all moral arguments must rest—care, fairness, liberty, loyalty, authority and sanctity. He teaches you not only how to persuade others, but how to see the faults and flaws in your own views, which is necessary for moral growth.

The Happiness Hypothesis: Finding Modern Truth in Ancient Wisdom

What is happiness, and how can you achieve it? We have all asked this question at one time or another. But Jonathan Haidt may have finally answered it. In The Happiness Hypothesis, Haidt outlines what he calls "ten great ideas" —strategies, mantras, and concepts originating from several of the world's great civilizations that help us to understand happiness and how to attain it. Analyzing these ideas through scientific research, Haidt breaks down human morality and gives us a look inside our own minds. How can we find ways to overcome our natural self-righteousness? Why is it important to learn from moralities that differ from our own? Haidt answers these questions, and more, in this smart and uplifting talk.

Jonathan Haidt Videos

Jonathan Haidt: The Case Against Social Media
Jonathan Haidt: The Three Terrible Ideas Weakening Gen Z and ...
Jonathan Haidt | Moral Psychology of Capitalism & Business ...

How do I book Jonathan Haidt to speak at my event?

Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like Jonathan Haidt for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment since 2002. Click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page to check availability for Jonathan Haidt, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get speaking fee information and check availability for Jonathan Haidt or any other speaker of your choice.

How much does it cost to book Jonathan Haidt for a speaking engagement?

Speaking fees for Jonathan Haidt, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. The estimated fees to book Jonathan Haidt are $50,000 - $100,000 for live events and $30,000 - $50,000 for virtual events. For the most current speaking fee to hire Jonathan Haidt, click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak directly with an experienced booking agent.

What topics does Jonathan Haidt speak about?

Jonathan Haidt is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics such as Health, Technology, Disruptive Thinking, Generational Issues, Creativity, Inspirational, Philosophy, Faith & Religion, Authors, Aging, Relationships, Political, Science, Innovation, Literary, Mindfulness, Professors, Culture, Leadership, History, Television & Film, Business Leadership, Ethics & Integrity and Social Media.

Where does Jonathan Haidt travel from?

Jonathan Haidt generally travels from New York, NY, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances.

Who is the agent for Jonathan Haidt?

AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully secured keynote speakers like Jonathan Haidt for clients worldwide since 2002. As a full-service speaker booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Please click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page including the details of your event, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book Jonathan Haidt for your next private or corporate function.

What is a full-service speaker booking agency?

AAE Speakers Bureau is a full-service speaker booking agency, meaning we can completely manage the speaker’s or celebrity’s engagement with your organization from the time of booking your speaker through the event’s completion. We provide all of the services you need to host Jonathan Haidt or any other speaker of your choice, including offer negotiation, contractual assistance, accounting and billing, and event speaker travel and logistics services. When you book a speaker with us, we manage the process of hosting a speaker for you as an extension of your team. Our goal is to give our clients peace of mind and a best-in-class service experience when booking a speaker with us.

Why is AAE Speakers Bureau different from other booking agencies?

If you’re looking for the best speaker recommendations, paired with a top-notch customer service experience, you’re in the right place. At AAE Speakers Bureau, we exclusively represent the interests of our clients - professional organizations, companies, universities, and associations. We intentionally do not represent the speakers we feature or book. That is so we can present our clients with the broadest and best performing set of speaker options in the market today, and we can make these recommendations without any obligation to promote a specific speaker over another. This is why when our agents suggest a speaker for your event, you can be assured that they are of the highest quality with a history of proven success with our other clients.


Jonathan Haidt is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics including Health, Technology and Disruptive Thinking. The estimated speaking fee range to book Jonathan Haidt for live events is $50,000 - $100,000, and for virtual events $30,000 - $50,000. Jonathan Haidt generally travels from New York, NY, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Sir Richard Branson, Ray Kurzweil and Jimmy Wales. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling Jonathan Haidt for an upcoming event.

Speaker profile last updated by AAE Talent Team on 26/11/2024.

Jonathan Haidt Speaking Topics

  • Finding Happiness Using Ancient Wisdom and Modern Psychology

    In addition to his work in moral psychology, Jonathan Haidt is one of the leading researchers in the field of positive psychology—the scientific study of human flourishing. His first book, The Happiness Hypothesis: Finding Modern Truth in Ancient Wisdom, is a classic in that field. In this crowd-pleasing talk, Haidt lays out the ideas of the ancients on the causes of human happiness and then applies modern research to identify where the ancients were right, and where they went wrong. It turns out that happiness doesn’t just come from within, or from reducing attachments to the world, as many ancient philosophers advised. For modern people, happiness comes from deep attachments and engagements—with other people, with work and with something larger than themselves.

  • Ethical Leadership

    It is commonly said that good ethics is good business, but how can a leader put that advice into action—and assure shareholders that he or she is creating long-term value? Jonathan Haidt’s job as the Thomas Cooley Professor of Ethical Leadership at NYU Stern is to answer such questions. To do so, he became one of the founding members of the largest collaboration in the world of researchers who study ethics in organizations (visit www.EthicalSystems.org). The researchers at that site have put their minds together to offer advice on everything from ethical leadership to reducing conflicts of interest and accounting fraud. In this talk, Haidt starts by making the business case for a strong commitment to ethics, and then shows you how you can do “ethical systems design”—you can make small changes and “nudges” that will have a big impact on ethical behavior and, in the long run, on trust, cooperation and profitability.

  • Politics and Polarization

    Why is America so divided and politically dysfunctional? Why are American institutions and religious organizations increasingly torn apart over “culture war” issues such as gay marriage? In this talk, Jonathan Haidt shows how the moral mind is prepared and pre-structured to bind people together into teams that then go blind to the ideas and virtues of their opponents. Haidt presents his own research, based on data from over 300,000 people, to show how liberals (progressives), conservatives and libertarians construct radically different moral “matrices”—networks of values and beliefs—that lead them to radically different views on policy and social issues. This talk can be customized to focus on A) how organizations or countries can reduce moral polarization, B) how to improve political appeals across moral matrices, or C) the unique and nearly unstudied psychology and ideology of libertarians.

  • How to Work with Righteous Minds

    Why is it so difficult to persuade people, change their minds, or otherwise get them to see things your way? Because the human mind is fundamentally intuitive, not logical. In this talk, Jonathan Haidt presents the three basic principles of moral psychology and shows how they can be used to strengthen relationships, prepare the ground for persuasion, and then persuade. Haidt offers a map of the moral mind, including his research on the six psychological foundations upon which all moral arguments must rest—care, fairness, liberty, loyalty, authority and sanctity. He teaches you not only how to persuade others, but how to see the faults and flaws in your own views, which is necessary for moral growth.

  • The Happiness Hypothesis: Finding Modern Truth in Ancient Wisdom

    What is happiness, and how can you achieve it? We have all asked this question at one time or another. But Jonathan Haidt may have finally answered it. In The Happiness Hypothesis, Haidt outlines what he calls "ten great ideas" —strategies, mantras, and concepts originating from several of the world's great civilizations that help us to understand happiness and how to attain it. Analyzing these ideas through scientific research, Haidt breaks down human morality and gives us a look inside our own minds. How can we find ways to overcome our natural self-righteousness? Why is it important to learn from moralities that differ from our own? Haidt answers these questions, and more, in this smart and uplifting talk.

Jonathan Haidt Videos

Jonathan Haidt: The Case Against Social Media
Jonathan Haidt: The Three Terrible Ideas Weakening Gen Z and ...
Jonathan Haidt | Moral Psychology of Capitalism & Business ...
Maintaining Ethical Culture in a Politically Charged World
'Something Went Haywire': Why Past Decade Has Been 'Uniquely Stupid'

Jonathan Haidt News

  • How do I book Jonathan Haidt to speak at my event?

    Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like Jonathan Haidt for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment since 2002. Click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page to check availability for Jonathan Haidt, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get speaking fee information and check availability for Jonathan Haidt or any other speaker of your choice.
  • How much does it cost to book Jonathan Haidt for a speaking engagement?

    Speaking fees for Jonathan Haidt, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. The estimated fees to book Jonathan Haidt are $50,000 - $100,000 for live events and $30,000 - $50,000 for virtual events. For the most current speaking fee to hire Jonathan Haidt, click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak directly with an experienced booking agent.
  • What topics does Jonathan Haidt speak about?

  • Where does Jonathan Haidt travel from?

    Jonathan Haidt generally travels from New York, NY, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances.
  • Who is the agent for Jonathan Haidt?

    AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully secured keynote speakers like Jonathan Haidt for clients worldwide since 2002. As a full-service speaker booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Please click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page including the details of your event, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book Jonathan Haidt for your next private or corporate function.
  • What is a full-service speaker booking agency?

    AAE Speakers Bureau is a full-service speaker booking agency, meaning we can completely manage the speaker’s or celebrity’s engagement with your organization from the time of booking your speaker through the event’s completion. We provide all of the services you need to host Jonathan Haidt or any other speaker of your choice, including offer negotiation, contractual assistance, accounting and billing, and event speaker travel and logistics services. When you book a speaker with us, we manage the process of hosting a speaker for you as an extension of your team. Our goal is to give our clients peace of mind and a best-in-class service experience when booking a speaker with us.
  • Why is AAE Speakers Bureau different from other booking agencies?

    If you’re looking for the best speaker recommendations, paired with a top-notch customer service experience, you’re in the right place. At AAE Speakers Bureau, we exclusively represent the interests of our clients - professional organizations, companies, universities, and associations. We intentionally do not represent the speakers we feature or book. That is so we can present our clients with the broadest and best performing set of speaker options in the market today, and we can make these recommendations without any obligation to promote a specific speaker over another. This is why when our agents suggest a speaker for your event, you can be assured that they are of the highest quality with a history of proven success with our other clients.
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