Moral Foundations Theory
Version 1.0.0 · Updated 2026-07-30
CORE DEFINITION
A theory proposed by Jonathan Haidt, which posits that human moral judgments are based on five (or six) evolutionarily formed moral foundations: Care/Harm, Fairness/Cheating, Loyalty/Betrayal, Authority/Subversion, Sanctity/Degradation. Different political orientations and cultural backgrounds place different emphasis on these foundations.
SCAFFOLDING EFFECT
Reduce cognitive load
Promotes moral understanding. Applied in cross-cultural understanding, political communication, and moral education. Helps us enhance moral understanding by recognizing diverse moralities, understanding the roots of differences, promoting moral dialogue, and building common ground, thereby reducing moral conflicts, facilitating political dialogue, and enhancing cultural inclusiveness.
Anchor fast decisions
Moral intuitions are built upon several evolutionarily formed psychological foundations: Care/Harm, Fairness/Cheating, Loyalty/Betrayal, Authority/Subversion, Sanctity/Degradation, with Liberty/Oppression added later.
MINIMUM ACTION
In progress 0/1Practice this model in one real situation:
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Source support: Explicit
- en.wikipedia.orghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moral_foundations_theoryverified
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