Jonathan David Haidt is an American social psychologist and a Professor of Ethical Leadership at the New York University Stern School of Business. His main areas of study include the psychology of morality and moral emotions.

Haidt is best known for his contributions to the psychological field of Moral Foundations Theory, which explores the evolutionary origins of human moral reasoning based on innate feelings rather than logical reasoning. This theory helps to explain the different moral reasonings related to political ideologies, with various political orientations prioritizing different sets of morals.

He has authored several books for general audiences: The Happiness Hypothesis (2006), exploring the intersection of ancient philosophy and modern science; The Righteous Mind (2012), analyzing how morality is influenced more by emotion and intuition than by reasoning, thus explaining political divisions; and The Coddling of the American Mind (2018), co-authored with Greg Lukianoff, examining the effects of political polarization on college campuses and mental health. In 2024, he released The Anxious Generation, addressing the impact of smartphones and overprotective parenting on mental health.

Jonathan Haidt has been recognized globally, being named among the "top global thinkers" by Foreign Policy magazine and "top world thinkers" by Prospect magazine. He remains one of the leading figures in political and moral psychology.