The new literati of the genre include David Brooks, Jonathan Haidt, Dan Ariely, and Daniel Kahneman.

FORBES: What Makes Some MBAs Wildly Successful?

University of Virginia professor of psychology Jonathan Haidt is a pioneer in the scientific study of moral emotion and cognition.

FORBES: The Moral Default Setting: Liberal or Conservative?

The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Jonathan Haidt.

CNN: Why we love to lose ourselves in religion

"We are incomplete creatures, " says Jonathan Haidt.

CNN: What really makes people happy

For a study published last year, researchers Jonathan Haidt and Jennifer A. Silvers invited nursing mothers to bring their babies and watch a clip from "The Oprah Winfrey Show" in which a musician paid moving tribute to his former teacher for steering him away from a life of crime and gangs.

CNN: What really makes people happy