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Chapter Overview
Chapter 1: AudiobookHub Recommendation
Chapter 2: Three popular but flawed theories have tried to explain human nature.
Chapter 3: Cultural behavior can also arise from evolution and genetics.
Chapter 4: Modern science has uncovered bridges between the physical world and the mind.
Chapter 5: The defenses of the Blank Slate theory fail to hold up.
Chapter 6: Many arguments for the Blank Slate theory are rooted in politics and religion.
Chapter 7: Letting go of the blank slate stirs up fears of inequality and imperfection.
Chapter 8: Giving up the blank slate also stirs fears of determinism and nihilism.
Chapter 9: The mind excels at categorizing, but this strength can also fuel racism.
Chapter 10: Our strongest altruistic impulses are genetic, and our moral feelings can mislead us.
Chapter 11: Genetics also shape political beliefs and predispositions to violence.
Chapter 12: Men’s and women’s minds are not identical, but this needn’t conflict with feminism.
Chapter 13: Three laws of behavioral genetics reveal how genes, parenting and unique environments shape us.
Chapter 14: The arts are rooted in our genes, and modern art has often sidelined beauty.
Description
The Blank Slate (2002) is about the huge role that evolution and genetics play in making us who we are. Steven Pinker makes a strong case against the belief that everyone is born a blank slate and influenced only by their upbringing, arguing instead that biology is a far more important factor in shaping our behaviors and personalities.
Who Should Listen
- Students of psychology, biology, and philosophy
- Teachers and parents
- Readers eager to understand human nature