---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think moral philosophy is speculation…"
description: "\"I think moral philosophy is speculation on how we ought to live together done by people who have very little clue how people work. So I think most mora..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7af/jonathan-haidt-1823_character_i-think-moral-philosophy-is-speculation_2830676.jpg"
---

#  I think moral philosophy is speculation on how we ought to…

![“I think moral philosophy is speculation on how we ought to live together done by people who have very little clue how people work. So I think most moral philosophy is disconnected from the species that we happen to be. In fact, they like it that way. Many moral philosophers insist that morality…” quote by Jonathan Haidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7af/jonathan-haidt-1823_character_i-think-moral-philosophy-is-speculation_2830676.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7af/jonathan-haidt-1823_character_i-think-moral-philosophy-is-speculation_2830676.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7af/jonathan-haidt-1823_character_i-think-moral-philosophy-is-speculation_2830676.jpg)

> “I think moral philosophy is speculation on how we ought to live together done by people who have very little clue how people work. So I think most moral philosophy is disconnected from the species that we happen to be. In fact, they like it that way. Many moral philosophers insist that morality grows out of our rationality, that it applies to any rational being anywhere in the universe, and that it is not based on contingent or coincidental facts about our evolution.”

[Jonathan Haidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-haidt/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Questioning moral philosophy's relevance, arguing it often ignores real human behavior and evolution.

**In simple terms:** Philosophy may be detached from reality.

Key Takeaway

Ground ethics in lived experience.

Themes

ethics philosophy human nature

Mood

reflective inquisitive

Type

philosophical critical

When to use this quote

- academic discourse
- policy making
- education

Key Concepts

rationalism evolutionary psychology social theory

Questions to Reflect On

- How can philosophy stay relevant?
- What empirical data should inform ethics?

A Different Perspective

Risk of oversimplifying complex moral systems.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Evolution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evolution/) [Moral](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moral/) [Moral philosophy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moral-philosophy/) [Morality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/morality/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Philosopher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosopher/) [Philosophy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy/) [Rationality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rationality/) [Speculation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/speculation/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Universe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/universe/)

## Related quotes

> [I think that moral philosophy is useful for framing questions, but terrible at answering them. I think moral psychology is booming right now, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-haidt/i-think-that-moral-philosophy-is-useful-for-framing-questions-but/)

[Jonathan Haidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-haidt/)

> [“Most moral philosophers consciously or unconsciously assume the essential correctness of our cultural sexual code — family, monogamy, continence, the postulate of privacy, ...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/most-moral-philosophers-consciously-or-unconsciously-assume-the/)

[Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/)

> [We are apt to consider Shakespeare only as a poet; but he was certainly one of the greatest moral philosophers that ever lived.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-wortley-montagu/we-are-apt-to-consider-shakespeare-only-as-a-poet-but-he-was/)

[Mary Wortley Montagu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-wortley-montagu/)

> [“There is no way to understand the character of the taboo rules, except as a survival from some previous more elaborate cultural background. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alasdair-c-macintyre/there-is-no-way-to-understand-the-character-of-the-taboo-rules-except/)

[Alasdair C. MacIntyre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alasdair-c-macintyre/)

> [If you think that moral reasoning is something we do to figure out the truth, you’ll be constantly frustrated by how foolish, biased, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-haidt/if-you-think-that-moral-reasoning-is-something-we-do-to-figure-out/)

[Jonathan Haidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-haidt/)

> [The line separating investment and speculation, which is never bright and clear, becomes blurred still further when most market participants have recently enjoyed triumphs.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-buffett/the-line-separating-investment-and-speculation-which-is-never-bright/)

[Warren Buffett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-buffett/)

> [“... it's pointless to think in moral terms when everything is permissible. We have become the people we detest. We have lost the capacity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-gamalinda/it-s-pointless-to-think-in-moral-terms-when-everything-is-permissible/)

[Eric Gamalinda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-gamalinda/)

> [I think as a moral question, restaurant workers should get paid more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-bourdain/i-think-as-a-moral-question-restaurant-workers-should-get-paid-more/)

[Anthony Bourdain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-bourdain/)

> [“Returning to the Moral Majority, we must realize that regardless of whether we think the Moral Majority has always said the right things or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-schaeffer/returning-to-the-moral-majority-we-must-realize-that-regardless-of/)

[Francis Schaeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-schaeffer/)

> [I think you have a moral responsibility when you've been given far more than you need, to do wise things with it and give…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-k-rowling-2/i-think-you-have-a-moral-responsibility-when-you-ve-been-given-far/)

[J. K. Rowling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-k-rowling-2/)

> [I think of moral beauty as what is the good and the just - terms perhaps best defined by their opposite: evil. Evil is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-e-morgan/i-think-of-moral-beauty-as-what-is-the-good-and-the-just-terms/)

[C.E. Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-e-morgan/)

> [I think there's a moral imperative when you're writing fictional heroes to give characters who somehow give us something to aspire to as opposed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-waid/i-think-there-s-a-moral-imperative-when-you-re-writing-fictional/)

[Mark Waid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-waid/)

> [I do listen to myself sometimes and think, 'Is my moral compass so easily swayed by the characters I play, or is it me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-serkis/i-do-listen-to-myself-sometimes-and-think-is-my-moral-compass-so/)

[Andy Serkis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-serkis/)

> [A bad author can take the most moral issue and make you want to just never, ever think about that moral issue.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/azar-nafisi/a-bad-author-can-take-the-most-moral-issue-and-make-you-want-to-just/)

[Azar Nafisi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/azar-nafisi/)

> [I really do think of it in moral terms. I think that we can't kid ourselves that the storytelling impulse is innocent and does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynn-coady/i-really-do-think-of-it-in-moral-terms-i-think-that-we-can-t-kid/)

[Lynn Coady](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynn-coady/)

## More by Jonathan Haidt

> [Love and work are to people what water and sunshine are to plants.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-haidt/love-and-work-are-to-people-what-water-and-sunshine-are-to-plants/)

[Jonathan Haidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-haidt/)

> [You can see the rider serving the elephant when people are morally dumbfounded. They have strong gut feelings about what is right and wrong,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-haidt/you-can-see-the-rider-serving-the-elephant-when-people-are-morally/)

[Jonathan Haidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-haidt/)

> [Congress is full of good, decent, smart people who have devoted their lives to public service.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-haidt/congress-is-full-of-good-decent-smart-people-who-have-devoted-their/)

[Jonathan Haidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-haidt/)

> [Once you understand the power of stimulus control, you can use it to your advantage by changing the stimuli in your environment and avoiding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-haidt/once-you-understand-the-power-of-stimulus-control-you-can-use-it-to/)

[Jonathan Haidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-haidt/)

> [“The ethic of autonomy is based on the idea that people are, first and foremost, autonomous individuals with wants, needs, and preferences. People should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-haidt/the-ethic-of-autonomy-is-based-on-the-idea-that-people-are-first-and/)

[Jonathan Haidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-haidt/)

> [I got interested in the American culture war back in 2004, and it's one of the only growth stocks I've ever invested in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-haidt/i-got-interested-in-the-american-culture-war-back-in-2004-and-it-s/)

[Jonathan Haidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-haidt/)

> [I think of myself as a social scientist. In order to get hired and to get promoted, we're forced to declare a disciplinary and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-haidt/i-think-of-myself-as-a-social-scientist-in-order-to-get-hired-and-to/)

[Jonathan Haidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-haidt/)

> [“We should not expect individuals to produce good, open-minded, truth-seeking reasoning, particularly when self-interest or reputational concerns are in play. But if you put…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-haidt/we-should-not-expect-individuals-to-produce-good-open-minded-truth/)

[Jonathan Haidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-haidt/)

> [The most powerful force ever known on this planet is human cooperation - a force for construction and destruction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-haidt/the-most-powerful-force-ever-known-on-this-planet-is-human/)

[Jonathan Haidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-haidt/)

> [It only takes twenty generations of selective breeding to create large differences or appearance and behavior in other mammals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-haidt/it-only-takes-twenty-generations-of-selective-breeding-to-create/)

[Jonathan Haidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-haidt/)

> [If you think half of America votes badly because they are stupid or religious, you are trapped in a matrix ... Take the red…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-haidt/if-you-think-half-of-america-votes-badly-because-they-are-stupid-or/)

[Jonathan Haidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-haidt/)

> [“Our minds have the potential to become righteous about many different concerns, and only a few of these concerns are activated during childhood. Other”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-haidt/our-minds-have-the-potential-to-become-righteous-about-many-different/)

[Jonathan Haidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-haidt/)

> [People who devote their lives to studying something often come to believe that the object of their fascination is the key to understanding everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-haidt/people-who-devote-their-lives-to-studying-something-often-come-to/)

[Jonathan Haidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-haidt/)

> [“Nonetheless, if you are trying to change an organization or a society and you do not consider the effects of your changes on moral…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-haidt/nonetheless-if-you-are-trying-to-change-an-organization-or-a-society/)

[Jonathan Haidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-haidt/)

> [If you have a personality predisposed to liberalism, you might gravitate more to the artsy crowd or the anti-establishment crowd. And then those peers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-haidt/if-you-have-a-personality-predisposed-to-liberalism-you-might/)

[Jonathan Haidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-haidt/)

[Explore all 204 Jonathan Haidt quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-haidt/)

## More Character quotes

> [This may sound strange, but although I feel like I know everything about my characters, the brand of shampoo they use, how many cavities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-honeyman/this-may-sound-strange-but-although-i-feel-like-i-know-everything/)

[Gail Honeyman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-honeyman/)

> [I always like a character who makes me laugh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachael-stirling/i-always-like-a-character-who-makes-me-laugh/)

[Rachael Stirling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachael-stirling/)

> [Social responsibility above the level of family, or at most of tribe, requires imagination-- devotion, loyalty, all the higher virtues -- which a man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/social-responsibility-above-the-level-of-family-or-at-most-of-tribe/)

[Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/)

> [Reader, if you are gifted with nerves like mine, aspire to any character but that of a wit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-lamb/reader-if-you-are-gifted-with-nerves-like-mine-aspire-to-any/)

[Charles Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-lamb/)

> [I'm often moved by the circumstances around some of my characters, but I don't think I've actually cried watching myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-winslet/i-m-often-moved-by-the-circumstances-around-some-of-my-characters-but/)

[Kate Winslet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-winslet/)

> [When you're on a daytime drama you get one page, you better damn well know your character. You better know what she would do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hudgins/when-you-re-on-a-daytime-drama-you-get-one-page-you-better-damn-well/)

David Hudgins

> [It can sometimes make people fold into themselves and kind of run away, but I think in this case these characters are being forced…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-deschanel/it-can-sometimes-make-people-fold-into-themselves-and-kind-of-run/)

[Emily Deschanel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-deschanel/)

> [If you are well-mannered towards those whose views are similar to yours, you may be said to exhibit a fairly good character. But, if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-are-well-mannered-towards-those-whose-views-are-similar-to/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Democracy is based on the conviction that man has the moral and intellectual capacity, as well as the inalienable right, to govern himself with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-s-truman/democracy-is-based-on-the-conviction-that-man-has-the-moral-and/)

[Harry S. Truman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-s-truman/)

> [In the fight between biology and morality, biology has commonly won in the end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/semir-zeki/in-the-fight-between-biology-and-morality-biology-has-commonly-won-in/)

[Semir Zeki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/semir-zeki/)

> [Your looks don't make you pretty, it's the person inside who makes you pretty!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-chan/your-looks-don-t-make-you-pretty-it-s-the-person-inside-who-makes-you/)

[Aaron Chan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-chan/)

> [I'm not a huge social media kind of guy, so I don't really know, I don't really ever get... at least in real life,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/freddie-stroma/i-m-not-a-huge-social-media-kind-of-guy-so-i-don-t-really-know-i-don/)

[Freddie Stroma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/freddie-stroma/)

> [If you stood me in a costume next to a computer graphic of the same-looking character, I think there would be a difference. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warwick-davis/if-you-stood-me-in-a-costume-next-to-a-computer-graphic-of-the-same/)

[Warwick Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warwick-davis/)

> [Courage: the most important of all the virtues because without courage, you can't practice any other virtue consistently](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/courage-the-most-important-of-all-the-virtues-because-without-courage/)

[Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/)

> [I'm a character actor - always have been, always will be - and historically, character actors don't come into their own until later in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-potts/i-m-a-character-actor-always-have-been-always-will-be-and/)

[Annie Potts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-potts/)

[Browse all 32,707 Character quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "I think moral philosophy is speculation on how we ought to live together done by people who have very little clue how people work. So I think most moral philosophy is disconnected from the species that we happen to be. In fact, they like it that way. Many moral philosophers insist that morality grows out of our rationality, that it applies to any rational being anywhere in the universe, and that it is not based on contingent or coincidental facts about our evolution.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Jonathan Haidt"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-haidt/i-think-moral-philosophy-is-speculation-on-how-we-ought-to-live/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Character"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-haidt/i-think-moral-philosophy-is-speculation-on-how-we-ought-to-live/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7af/jonathan-haidt-1823_character_i-think-moral-philosophy-is-speculation_2830676.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7af/jonathan-haidt-1823_character_i-think-moral-philosophy-is-speculation_2830676.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7af/jonathan-haidt-1823_character_i-think-moral-philosophy-is-speculation_2830676.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I think moral philosophy is speculation on how we ought to live together done by people who have very little…” — Jonathan Haidt",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Jonathan Haidt",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-haidt/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "I think moral philosophy is speculation...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-haidt/i-think-moral-philosophy-is-speculation-on-how-we-ought-to-live/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-haidt/i-think-moral-philosophy-is-speculation-on-how-we-ought-to-live/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
