Steven Pinker
Full Name and Common Aliases
Steven Arthur Pinker, commonly known as Steven Pinker, is a renowned cognitive psychologist, linguist, and popular science author. His work has made significant contributions to the fields of language, mind, and human nature, earning him a place among the most quoted intellectuals of our time.
Birth and Death Dates
Steven Pinker was born on September 18, 1954. As of the latest available information, he is alive and continues to contribute to academic and public discourse.
Nationality and Profession(s)
Steven Pinker is a Canadian-American. He holds multiple professional titles, including cognitive psychologist, linguist, and author. Pinker is also a prominent public intellectual, known for his ability to communicate complex ideas to a broad audience.
Early Life and Background
Steven Pinker was born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, into a middle-class Jewish family. His parents, Roslyn and Harry Pinker, were both professionals, with his mother working as a high school vice-principal and his father as a lawyer. Pinker's early education took place in Montreal, where he attended Dawson College before moving on to McGill University. At McGill, he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology in 1976. His academic journey continued at Harvard University, where he completed a Ph.D. in experimental psychology in 1979. Pinker's upbringing in a bilingual city and his exposure to diverse cultural influences likely played a role in shaping his interest in language and cognition.
Major Accomplishments
Steven Pinker's career is marked by numerous accomplishments in both academia and public discourse. He has held prestigious academic positions, including serving as the Johnstone Family Professor in the Department of Psychology at Harvard University. Pinker has been recognized with several awards and honors, such as the Troland Research Award from the National Academy of Sciences and the Humanist of the Year award from the American Humanist Association. His research has significantly advanced our understanding of language acquisition, visual cognition, and the psychology of language.
Notable Works or Actions
Steven Pinker is the author of several influential books that have reached a wide audience. His 1994 book, "The Language Instinct," argues that language is an innate faculty of the human mind, a revolutionary idea that challenged existing theories. In "How the Mind Works" (1997), Pinker explores the intricacies of human thought, offering insights into how our minds have evolved. Another notable work, "The Blank Slate" (2002), critiques the notion that humans are born as blank slates, emphasizing the role of genetics in shaping human behavior. Pinker's "The Better Angels of Our Nature" (2011) presents a compelling argument that violence has declined over time, a thesis that has sparked widespread discussion and debate.
Impact and Legacy
Steven Pinker's impact extends beyond academia into the realm of public intellectualism. His ability to distill complex scientific concepts into accessible language has made him a sought-after speaker and commentator on issues related to human nature, language, and society. Pinker's work has influenced a generation of psychologists, linguists, and thinkers, and his ideas continue to shape discussions on the nature of human cognition and behavior. His advocacy for reason, science, and humanism has positioned him as a leading voice in contemporary debates on progress and enlightenment.
Why They Are Widely Quoted or Remembered
Steven Pinker is widely quoted and remembered for his ability to challenge conventional wisdom and provoke thought on fundamental questions about human nature. His eloquent writing and engaging public speaking have made complex scientific ideas accessible to a broad audience, fostering a deeper understanding of the human mind and society. Pinker's optimistic view of human progress, as articulated in works like "The Better Angels of Our Nature," resonates with those seeking evidence-based perspectives on the state of the world. His contributions to the understanding of language, cognition, and human behavior ensure that his insights remain relevant and influential in both academic and public spheres.
Quotes by Steven Pinker
Steven Pinker's insights on:
Ancestor worship must be an appealing idea to those who are about to become ancestors.
Astrology had an important role in the ancient world. You can't understand many things unless you know something about astrology - the plays of Shakespeare and so on.
Equity feminism is a moral doctrine about equal treatment that makes no commitments regarding open empirical issues in psychology or biology.
Equality is not the empirical claim that all groups of humans are interchangeable; it is the moral principle individuals should not be judged or constrained by the average properties of their group.
Irregularity in grammar seems like the epitome of human eccentricity and quirkiness.
20th-century totalitarian movements were no more defined by a rejection of Judeo-Christianity than they were defined by a rejection of astrology, alchemy, Confucianism, Scientology, or any of hundreds of other belief systems.
I teach classes 28 weeks of the year, but the rest of the time I do research and write books. While I'm writing a book, which I probably do two out of every three years, it's like having a second job. I squeeze in the hours when I can.
It’s often said that the Stone Age did not end because the world ran out of stones, and that has been true of energy as well.
If there’s a bag in your car, and a gallon of milk in the bag, there is a gallon of milk in your car. But if there’s a person in your car, and a gallon of blood in a person, it would be strange to conclude that there is a gallon of blood in your car.
An event is a stretch of time, and time, according to physicists, is a continuous variable-an inexorable cosmic flow, in Newton’s world, or a fourth dimension in a seamless hyperspace, in Einstein’s. But the human mind carves this fabric into the discrete swatches we call events.