Paul Bloom

Professor

Campus

Fields of Study

Biography

Paul Bloom did his undergraduate degree in Psychology at McGill University and his graduate degree in Brain and Cognitive Sciences at MIT. He taught at University of Arizona, and then at Yale University, where he continues to hold the position of Brooks and Suzanne Ragen Professor Emeritus of Psychology. He joined the Psychology Department at the University of Toronto in 2021.

Paul Bloom studies how children and adults make sense of the world, with special focus on pleasure, morality, religion, fiction, and art. He has won numerous awards for his research and teaching. He is co-editor of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, and, along with scientific publications, writes for popular outlets such as The New York Times and The New Yorker. He is the author of six books, including, most recently, The Sweet Spot: The Pleasures of Suffering and the Search for Meaning.