Why do we respond to things the way we do? How do we experience the world? Jonathan Haidt, a moral psychologist, argues that we possess six “taste receptors” that shape how we perceive the world around us1. These six foundations, and the varying degrees to which we experience each, influence our understanding.
Our moral taste receptors include: Care/Harm, Fairness/Cheating, Loyalty/Betrayal, Authority/Subversion, Sanctity/Degradation, and Liberty/Oppression. Haidt posits that all of these operate within our minds, driving our emotional intuitions as we process the world. They function similarly to taste buds, but for our emotions.
