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Steven Pinker

Canadian-American cognitive psychologist, linguist, and author, an advocate of evolutionary psychology and the computational theory of the mind · United States · Academics · Born 1954 · age 72

Steven Pinker is read about 874 times a day, in 50 languages.

A typical day, 30 days to 15 October 2026

The middle day of the days counted, so one week of news cannot move it. The line under it is the last 390 days, one point a day.

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Steven Arthur Pinker is a Canadian cognitive psychologist, psycholinguist, popular science author, and public intellectual. He is an advocate of evolutionary psychology and the computational theory of mind. Pinker is the Johnstone Family Professor of Psychology at Harvard University.

A life in dates

2018“A major breakthrough of the Scientific Revolution - perhaps its biggest breakthrough - was to refute the intuition that the universe is saturated with purpose.”In their wordsp. 24

Carl Sagan Award for Public Understanding of ScienceAward2017Emperor Has No Clothes AwardAward2016William James Fellow AwardAward2013Richard Dawkins AwardAward2011“On the contrary, violence is often caused by a surfeit of morality and justice, at least as they are conceived in the minds of the perpetrators.”In their wordsp 139

2009“Some people think that evolutionary psychology claims to have discovered that human nature is selfish and wicked.”In their words2009 ed., p. 517

2007“The psychologist Dedre Gentner and her collaborators have shown that a focus on relationships is the key to the power of analogy as a tool of reasoning.”In their wordsp. 254. Penguin Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

2006Humanist of the YearAward2005Walter P. Kistler Book AwardAward2004Emperor Has No Clothes AwardAward2002“In the past two decades anthropologists have gathered data on life and death in pre-state societies rather than accepting the warm and fuzzy stereotypes. What did they find?”In their wordsp. 95

“The three laws of behavioral genetics may be the most important discoveries in the history of psychology.”In their wordsThe First Law. All human behavioral traits are heritable.

1993Troland Research AwardsAward1986Boyd McCandless AwardAward1984APA Distinguished Scientific Award for an Early Career Contribution to PsychologyAward1954Born18 September 1954

Also in Deutsch

Photos 6

Pinker in 2011Pinker in 2011Pinker at CSICon in 2018, hosted by the Committee for Skeptical InquiryPinker at CSICon in 2018, hosted by the Committee for Skeptical InquiryPinker lecturing to humanists in the United Kingdom (2018)Pinker lecturing to humanists in the United Kingdom (2018)Detail from "Mars" in Das Mittelalterliche Hausbuch, c. 1475 - 1480. Pinker used the image in The Better Angels of Our Nature to illustrate violence in the Middle Ages.[73]Detail from "Mars" in Das Mittelalterliche Hausbuch, c. 1475 - 1480. Pinker used the image in The Better Angels of Our Nature to illustrate violence in the Middle Ages.[73]Pinker and Nils Brose speaking at a neuroscience conferencePinker and Nils Brose speaking at a neuroscience conference

In their own words 10

,
Steven Pinker
,
10 statements, newest first

  1. A major breakthrough of the Scientific Revolution - perhaps its biggest breakthrough - was to refute the intuition that the universe is saturated with purpose.

    2018, p. 24, Own words

  2. As people age, they confuse changes in themselves with changes in the world, and changes in the world with moral decline - the illusion of the good old days.

    2014, p 4, Own words

  3. The world has far too much morality.

    2011, p 474, Own words

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Awards

Carl Sagan Award for Public Understanding of Science2018
Emperor Has No Clothes Award2017
William James Fellow Award2016
Richard Dawkins Award2013
Humanist of the Year2006
Walter P. Kistler Book Award2005
Emperor Has No Clothes Award2004
Troland Research Awards1993
Boyd McCandless Award1986
APA Distinguished Scientific Award for an Early Career Contribution to Psychology1984
Fellow of the Cognitive Science Society
Fellow of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry
Kistler Prize
Honorary Doctor of the University of Tromso

In their orbit 4

About this person

Country
United States
Category
Academics
Type
Academic
Status
living
Dates
Born 1954 · age 72

In common with Steven

Peter SingerAlso in Humans and Other Animals (2024)Thomas SowellAlso in Thomas Sowell: Common Sense in a Senseless World (2021)Larry ElderAlso in Thomas Sowell: Common Sense in a Senseless World (2021)Coleman HughesAlso in Humans and Other Animals (2024)Jane GoodallAlso in Humans and Other Animals (2024)Dave RubinAlso in Thomas Sowell: Common Sense in a Senseless World (2021)

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