David Brooks

I’m an Opinion columnist at The New York Times.

What I Cover

I write about political, social and cultural trends, the clash of ideas and the always tricky subject of moral formation.

My Background

I’ve been writing on a daily basis pretty much since the wee age of 7. I’ve worked at a variety of magazines and newspapers ranging from National Review, Newsweek and The Weekly Standard, and The Wall Street Journal and The Times.

I am the author of several books, including “Bobos in Paradise: The New Upper Class and How They Got There,” “The Social Animal: The Hidden Sources of Love, Character, and Achievement,” a New York Times best seller, and most recently, “How to Know a Person: The Art of Seeing Others Deeply and Being Deeply Seen.”

I graduated from The University of Chicago with a degree in history. I have taught at Yale, Duke and The University of Chicago, and I am a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Emotionally, my home is New York City, below 23rd Street, though physically I’ve lived in Washington, D.C., for decades.

Journalistic Ethics

I’ve tried to present a reasonable voice in the midst of all the bitterness and strife of public life. I’ve tried to live out a philosophical tradition that has its roots in the thought of people like David Hume, Edmund Burke and Alexander Hamilton, a tradition of thought that sits in the tension between humility and audacity, fair-mindedness and compassion. Like all Times journalists I’m committed to upholding the standards of integrity outlined in our Ethical Journalism Handbook.

• Email: dabrooks@nytimes.com

• X: @nytbrooks