'Steven Pinker: False Friend of the Enlightenment'

[Nearly Sane]

While I cannot help but feel that Landon Frim and Harrison Fluss are characters from an pastiche modernised version of Miss Beale and Miss Buss, this is a rather jolly attack on Steven Pinker.


https://jacobinmag.com/2018/10/steven-pinker-enlightenment-now-review

[SusanDoris]

While I cannot help but feel that Landon Frim and Harrison Fluss are characters from an pastiche modernised version of Miss Beale and Miss Buss, this is a rather jolly attack on Steven Pinker.


https://jacobinmag.com/2018/10/steven-pinker-enlightenment-now-review

Many years ago, I read one of his books and it was very erudite, but all the way through I was thinking that there was something not quite right about it. since that time, my 'slight nausea', as the authors of the article say, has been more to the fore.

I wonder if he realises how lucky he is to be living in a world where all the necessary practical things of life are made and sustained by others, so that he has the time to spend his life writing about it?!

I read it through on 'continuousread', so no comments other than an overall impression. Thank you for posting.

[Nearly Sane]

I doubt Pinker would say anything less than he was enormously grateful to be living now. I think the main issue I have with him is instead of using the data to say we are living in the best of all possible times as Hans Rosling did, he punts a rather simplistic philosophy with it.

[Enki]

My main criticisms of Pinker in both of his most recent books is that he tends to be far too optimistic and too encompassing. His emphasis on graphs and statistics is excellent but he constantly leaves himself open to the accusation of selecting only that which reinforces his ideas. I find his optimism to be a little irritating at times, although it can be refreshing in the face of those who constantly predict doom and gloom.

[Nearly Sane]

My main criticisms of Pinker in both of his most recent books is that he tends to be far too optimistic and too encompassing. His emphasis on graphs and statistics is excellent but he constantly leaves himself open to the accusation of selecting only that which reinforces his ideas. I find his optimism to be a little irritating at times, although it can be refreshing in the face of those who constantly predict doom and gloom.

I think in some ways he underplays ongoing threats and the role certain aspects of the enlightenment that he defends play in creating those, specifically environmental, are problematic. But I think that he derives too much from the graphs about how we should behave as well.