Steven Pinker

Steven Pinker
Christopher Michel · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Name	Steven Pinker
Birth date	1954-09-18
Birth place	Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Occupation	Cognitive psychologist; linguist; author; public intellectual
Alma mater	McGill University; Harvard University
Notable works	The Language Instinct; How the Mind Works; The Blank Slate; Enlightenment Now; The Better Angels of Our Nature

Steven Pinker Steven Pinker is a cognitive psychologist, linguist, and popular science author known for work on language, cognition, and human nature. He has held academic posts at institutions including Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Harvard University, and University of Toronto, and has written influential books engaging audiences across media such as The New York Times, The New Yorker, and The Atlantic. Pinker's writing connects research traditions stemming from figures like Noam Chomsky, Jean Piaget, and Jerome Bruner with debates involving thinkers such as Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, and Daniel Kahneman.

Early life and education

Pinker was born in Montreal and raised in a family with roots in Montreal Trust Company-era neighborhoods; he attended Westmount High School and pursued undergraduate studies at McGill University where he studied experimental psychology and linguistics alongside peers influenced by Steven Grossberg and Norman Doidge. He earned a Ph.D. in experimental psychology from Harvard University under advisors connected to the legacy of George A. Miller and engaged with research traditions at centers like MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory and laboratories affiliated with Massachusetts General Hospital.

Academic career and positions

Pinker began his academic career on the faculty of Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, later joining the faculty at Harvard University as Johnstone Professor of Psychology. He has held visiting appointments and fellowships at institutions such as the Rockefeller University and delivered named lectures at venues including Royal Institution and the British Academy. He was elected to bodies like the National Academy of Sciences and has participated in panels at organizations such as the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the Royal Society.

Research and major works

Pinker’s research spans psycholinguistics, visual cognition, and evolutionary psychology, drawing on methods used by laboratories like MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, Princeton University cognitive labs, and research groups at Stanford University. He advanced theories of an innate language faculty in works that built on Noam Chomsky’s generative grammar and critiqued behaviorist traditions associated with figures such as B.F. Skinner. Pinker’s major popular books include The Language Instinct, which engages with debates involving Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky; How the Mind Works, which synthesizes ideas from Evolutionary Psychology pioneers and references the work of Richard Dawkins and E.O. Wilson; The Blank Slate, which interacts with arguments from John Locke and Thomas Hobbes about human nature; The Better Angels of Our Nature and Enlightenment Now, which situate data-driven narratives alongside histories like the Industrial Revolution, the Two World Wars, and the development of organizations such as the United Nations.

He has published empirical articles in journals with editorial boards including Nature, Science, and Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences and contributed theoretical chapters to volumes alongside scholars from Cambridge University Press and Oxford University Press.

Public intellectualism and media presence

Pinker has been a frequent contributor to public discourse through essays in outlets including The New York Times Magazine, The Atlantic, and The New Republic and appearances on broadcasts like BBC Radio and NPR. He has debated public figures such as Michael Gazzaniga, Noam Chomsky, Richard Lewontin, and engaged in forums with commentators like Ta-Nehisi Coates and Christopher Hitchens. Pinker’s TED talks and lectures have been hosted by organizations including TED, Aspen Institute, and university lecture series at Yale University and Columbia University.

Criticism and controversies

Pinker’s positions on genetic influences on cognition, his critiques of tabula rasa theories, and his interpretations of historical decline in violence have drawn criticism from scholars associated with postmodernism-influenced departments, historians of violence such as Jared Diamond opponents, and researchers in fields represented by Paul Bloom and Steven Shapin. Debates have arisen over his use of statistical sources including data from institutions like the World Bank and datasets compiled by researchers at University of Chicago and Harvard. Controversies have also involved editorial disputes and open letters circulated via networks such as Heterodox Academy and commentary by members of the American Anthropological Association.

Awards and honors

Pinker has received fellowships and awards including election to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, membership in the National Academy of Sciences, and prizes from organizations such as the Royal Society and publishing awards conferred by Association of American Publishers. He has been awarded honorary degrees by universities including Yeshiva University and lectured as a visiting professor supported by grants from foundations such as the MacArthur Foundation and the Guggenheim Foundation.

Category:Cognitive psychologists Category:Linguists Category:Harvard University faculty