Wright was well known for promoting what he termed "moral science", which was also the theme of his presidential address in an annual meeting of the American Historical Association in 1975. Throughout his career, Wright argued that "intense moral ambiguity" lay at the root of nearly all the man-made misfortunes of the twentieth century, and he always raised the question of what role morality has in the field of history. Wright believed that data-driven, morally neutral interpretations of history were breaking the field's connection to humanity: "True, we have clothed our conduct in attractive garb: we speak of detachment, open-mindedness, tolerance, understanding. But beneath theses euphemisms, the critics say, abdication teaching morality is the essential reality."