Book SummaryThe Blank Slate, by Steven Pinker

1-Page Summary1-Page Book Summary of The Blank Slate

Throughout most of the 20th century, the mainstream intellectual view of human nature was that humans are benevolent blank slates, with immaterial souls distinct from their physical bodies. But, according to cognitive psychologist and public intellectual Steven Pinker, this view is mistaken. In The Blank Slate, Pinker argues that contemporary science shows instead that humans have an innate tendency toward conflict, personalities shaped by their genes, and entirely physical minds.

As the Johnstone Family Professor of Psychology at Harvard University, Pinker brings contemporary academic research into his...

The Blank Slate Summary The Mainstream View of Human Nature

We’ll start by outlining the mainstream view of human nature that Pinker criticizes. According to Pinker, this view is composed of three key ideas:

• Empiricism, which says that humans have no innate traits or knowledge
• Romanticism, which says that humans are innately good
• Dualism, which says that the mind is immaterial

Empiricism

The core of the prevailing view of human nature is empiricism. Pinker explains that, according to this doctrine, humans are a “blank slate” whose psychology and behavior are shaped only by their environment.

This view—famously trumpeted by 17th-century English philosopher John Locke—holds that any differences between two people are a byproduct of different environments, rather than any traits they’re born with. For example, you might think that some children are naturally agreeable and others are naturally disagreeable, but empiricism claims otherwise: Some children become disagreeable through their environments, while others become agreeable through different environments. For example, children raised by gentle, even-tempered parents might become friendly, while those raised by rude, emotionally volatile parents might...

The Blank Slate Summary The Alleged Benefits of the Mainstream View

Having explored what the three components of the mainstream view of human nature are, we’ll now examine why this view became mainstream by assessing three of its primary benefits. Academics claim that empiricism provides a strong argument against discrimination, dualism makes a compelling case against determinism, and romanticism makes individual and social progress possible.

Benefit #1: Empiricism Prevents Discrimination and Oppression

Pinker contends that the mainstream view’s first benefit concerns social justice. According to its proponents, this view of human nature acts as a bulwark against discrimination and oppression because it makes discrimination unfounded.

According to Pinker, proponents’ reasoning behind this view is straightforward: Because empiricism is true, all humans are identical and only differ due to their environments. So, no discrimination is justifiable since we’re all essentially identical. For example, because members of all races are identical at their core, racial discrimination is irrational.

(Shortform note: Unlike empiricism, which grounds our natural rights in the claim that we’re essentially identical, many theological accounts...

The Blank Slate Summary The Scientific Arguments Against the Mainstream View of Human Nature

According to Pinker, the mainstream view of human nature doesn’t just fail to deliver the benefits it promises—it also fails to reflect findings from contemporary science. He argues that findings from behavioral genetics, evolutionary psychology, and cognitive science undermine empiricism, romanticism, and dualism, respectively.

Argument #1: Behavioral Genetics Undermines Empiricism

First, Pinker relates that behavioral genetics refutes the empiricist notion that our personality depends on our environment alone because it shows that our genes predispose us toward certain ways of thinking and acting. For example, Pinker points out that twin studies—ones that examine identical twins raised in separate households—reveal that identical twins are significantly more likely to share the same cognitive disorders (such as autism, depression, and anxiety) than adopted siblings raised in the same household. In other words, people who share the same genetic material are significantly more similar than those who share the same environment.

(Shortform note: While work in genetics supports the idea that core personality traits are heritable, and thus not dependent on...

The Blank Slate Summary The Alternative Scientific View of Human Nature

Now that we’ve seen why Pinker rejects the mainstream view of human nature, we’ll consider three components of Pinker’s alternative conception of human nature—our accurate cognitive faculties, fallible consciences, and predisposition toward conflict.

Component #1: Accurate Mental Representations

Having argued that the mainstream view of human nature is false, Pinker seeks to replace it by showing that science establishes an alternative conception of human nature. In this section, we’ll look at the first component of the scientific view of human nature: accurate mental representations. Pinker argues that our brains have evolved to use categories, languages, and images to accurately represent the world.

Mental Representation #1: Categories

Pinker points out that our brains accurately sort things into different categories that help us reason about the world. For instance, your brain might categorize “large green things with scales and sharp teeth that swim underwater” as alligators, allowing you to identify alligators when you see them. Then, because you know that alligators are dangerous, this categorization allows you to respond appropriately when you see...

The Blank Slate Summary The Implications of the Scientific View of Human Nature

Having established some of the components of Pinker’s scientific conception of human nature, we’ll now turn to its implications. In particular, we’ll examine arguments that some differences in male and female minds are rooted in genetics, political conservatism is better-founded than progressivism, and children’s personalities are largely heritable.

Implication #1: Genes Shape Some Cognitive Differences Between Males and Females

According to Pinker, the scientific view of human nature sheds light on the hot-button issue of gender. In particular, he argues that this account of human nature shows that some differences in men’s and women’s minds have roots in genetics, in contrast with the empiricist idea that gender differences are caused by socialization alone.

(Shortform note: In his book, Pinker largely uses the terms “gender” and “sex” interchangeably. However, it’s widely accepted in health care and other fields that these are distinct terms. “Sex” refers to biological features such as sexual anatomy and chromosomes. Doctors typically assign babies the sex of male, female, or intersex....

Shortform Exercise: Assess Pinker’s Arguments

Pinker argues that his scientific view of human nature has implications for debates regarding gender, politics, and childrearing. In this exercise, reflect on Pinker’s arguments about these three implications.

According to Pinker, it’s likely that societal gender differences have a partially biological origin. To what extent do you agree with this claim? Explain your answer.