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The Blank Slate: The Modern Denial of Human Nature Hardcover – September 30, 2002

by Steven Pinker (Author)

360 customer reviews

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In a provocative study of the nature versus nurture debate, one of the world's foremost experts on language and the mind brilliantly explores the modern self-denial of our basic human natures. 50,000 first printing.

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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In his last outing, How the Mind Works, the author of the well-received The Language Instinct made a case for evolutionary psychology or the view that human beings have a hard-wired nature that evolved over time. This book returns to that still-controversial territory in order to shore it up in the public sphere. Drawing on decades of research in the "sciences of human nature," Pinker, a chaired professor of psychology at MIT, attacks the notion that an infant's mind is a blank slate, arguing instead that human beings have an inherited universal structure shaped by the demands made upon the species for survival, albeit with plenty of room for cultural and individual variation. For those who have been following the sciences in question including cognitive science, neuroscience, behavioral genetics and evolutionary psychology much of the evidence will be familiar, yet Pinker's clear and witty presentation, complete with comic strips and allusions to writers from Woody Allen to Emily Dickinson, keeps the material fresh. What might amaze is the persistent, often vitriolic resistance to these findings Pinker presents and systematically takes apart, decrying the hold of the "blank slate" and other orthodoxies on intellectual life. He goes on to tour what science currently claims to know about human nature, including its cognitive, intuitive and emotional faculties, and shows what light this research can shed on such thorny topics as gender inequality, child-rearing and modern art. Pinker's synthesizing of many fields is impressive but uneven, especially when he ventures into moral philosophy and religion; examples like "Even Hitler thought he was carrying out the will of God" violate Pinker's own principle that one should not exploit Nazism "for rhetorical clout." For the most part, however, the book is persuasive and illuminating.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Pinker moves from How the Mind Works to how human nature works, offering a theory that ably blends instinct and choice.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product details

Hardcover: 509 pages
Publisher: Viking; 1st edition (September 30, 2002)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0670031518
ISBN-13: 978-0670031511
Product Dimensions: 6.5 x 1.7 x 9.6 inches
Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 360 customer reviews
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #73,835 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #44 in Books > Medical Books > Psychology > Movements > Behaviorism
- #59 in Books > Politics & Social Sciences > Sociology > Social Theory
- #68 in Books > Science & Math > Behavioral Sciences > Behavioral Psychology

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Marcos

Amazing and very well researched, will re-shape the context of many things in your every day life

July 9, 2017

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

I picked up this book since Richard Dawkins talked about his work with Mr Pinker on his chapter of evolution. Like Richard Dawkins, Steven Pinker doesn't shy away from controversy, and just like Dawkins he's extremely well educated in his subjects in the smallest of details.

He lights up a giant science blowtorch to both the left and the right's notions regarding human nature.

As a parent of two children I was particularly interested in his parenting section, where the argument of "nature VS nurture" is torched. Explanations for how a parent does and doesn't shape their kids are unique, basically he's saying that parents are less significant than the rest of the environment (country, region, city/town) and what the culture that environment provides. While this might appear a "it takes a village" leftist argument, in reality it's just a common sense argument that I see every day as a person who left home to move to a different part of the world and after meeting a girl there; watch as my children grow up here and how different they are from me as a child and are more like other children here. Yet at the same time his use of adoption studies and separated twin studies are at once fascinating and also hard to argue against as he explains how much of us is in the genes and not in that environment.

On crime and IQ he dispels moral notions and poses new ones as he explains our newfound ability to determine a person's pre-disposition to violent or peaceful conflict resolution via brain scans, which he admits should have been expected after the extraordinary 19th century case of Phineas Gage surviving a traumatic brain injury and his behavior change predicted it.

He also tackles race, gender, and many other hot issues.

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Amazon Customer

Would highly recommend to anyone that isn't skeptical of behavioral science

May 12, 2017

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

One of the most interesting books I've ever read. Is at a decent reading level (I would guess grade 12+), but an interesting read for anyone. It is a little all over the place in the first few chapters, but picks up after that and is extremely insightful. Has completely changed how I perceive the world. Would highly recommend to anyone that isn't skeptical of behavioral science.

21 people found this helpful

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Haim

Science vs Superstition

January 22, 2018

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

Important scientific corrective to the current politically correct insanity. And, Pinker's writing is clear and approachable, and sometimes even humorous.

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Jon Anderson

A very worthwhile read

May 20, 2014

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

This took me a while to get into but by the middle part of the book I was quite focused and enjoying it. My most valuable takeaway has been how science research has given support to what is legitimate in philosophies of human nature on the left AND the right. And what's wrong in those philosophies is where we spend most of our time being defensive and non-productive. Good science wins!

9 people found this helpful

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Sid Smolen

Fascinating and Illuminating (if a bit verbose)

September 1, 2018

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

Mr. Pinker is an exceptional thinker, able to correlate detailed knowledge to reach broad and well supported conclusions. I admire anyone who's work is assailed by each of the far ends of the political spectrum. He is a fine writer, clear and entertaining. To me, his only shortcomings are an occasional tendency to use too many words and a tendency to be overly (although justifiably) proud of his work.

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BIED

An essay rather than a dogma

December 17, 2010

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

Mr. Pinker tries to start a reflexion on what makes us what we are.

This book is more a synthesis of his ideas than a scientific work. It gives occasions to question what we believe to be obvious, while it is only the result of the mainstream idea which has been invading the medias and the families for decades : the idea that the human mind is a mere "blank slate" and that, subsequently, all our behaviours, and more generally, our plagues, come from our environment, ie, family, "society" or "culture".

I agree that Mr. Pinker sometimes simplifies his opponents' viewpoints, and he sometimes lacks of nuance and in-depth analysis.

But I don't think he ever pretended to release a scientific work. I think that, first of all, Mr. Pinker wants us to change our references and to be able to accept the very idea of an open debate on the human nature. I personally loved changing my mind on so many topics, or at least finding out that other approaches were possible, where I used to be entrenched in a one-explanation approach.

For instance I used to believe that parenting was the alpha and omega of what makes a person what she/he is. Steven Pinker's book ruined this certainty. I am happy I ceased accusing my parents of all my difficulties in life. This by no means implies that parenting is not a good and important thing. It only gives an opportunity to change glasses about what it means to be a mother or a father.

There are dozens of other fascinating examples of what "the Blank Slate" can bring to the reader.

Maybe this explains the violence behind the debates about human nature.

The book invites us to ask ourselves about our ability to question our certainties with GOOD FAITH, i.e., our ability to admit that facts could invalidate sometiles (but not all the times) our opinions.

Even if we are not forced to follow Mr. Pinker in ALL his developments (I don't say I do), it is still an interesting approach, which brings lots of factual, solid information often ignored by most of us. It is a good start for reflexion, and by no means a dogmatic or "reductionnist" work (I always wonder why this word, "reductionnist" is used by people who precisely reduce the whole human experience to social and familial patterns and reject any other approach).

Some of the reviews here on Amazon.com come from people who visibly have difficulties dealing with FACTS and are really very aggressive (hence my 5 stars, in order to compensate such undue attacks).

When FACTS tend to question our opinions, we have two choices :

1. We admit that we could be wrong and try to start a discussion to redefine our point of view; or

2. We attack the man who states these facts and pretend him to be a stupid / fascist / chauvinist person.

I don't say I always fall in the first category, but I think it is a good way to discuss books like Mr. Pinker's (instead of personal and aggressive attacks, or, worse, commentaries written by people who didn't read the book since they reproach to Mr. Pinker ideas that he never expresses).

It is true that Mr. Pinker sometimes adopts a biased presentation of facts. But the nice thing is that he quotes all his references and exposes every step of his reasoning, which allows a true discussion and an open, honest debate. I really enjoyed very much reading this book.

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