January 2003 - Division of Medical Sciences Bulletin - Harvard ...

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The Harvard University BBS website: January Bulletin individual; (c) The role of heredity in behavior suggests a loss of free will and subsequently implies genetic determinism; and (d) Purely biological explanations of human behavior and the mind may lead to nihilistic amorality. For each of these concerns, acceptance of "nature" in human behavior is accompanied by the fear that social injustice will be rationalized through biological arguments. Pinker addresses each of these fears, offering the counterargument that, in fact, denial of the importance of genetics may lead to greater injustice. Having confronted these issues, Pinker then discusses the biological foundations of several behavioral components, including perception, linguistics, reasoning, social interaction, and morality. The book concludes with a discussion of several social and political issues, such as violence, within the context of the nature/nurture debate. The Blank Slate is most convincing when the author builds his arguments on scientific evidence. Pinker draws his conclusions from a broad range of fields, including economics, sociology, psychology, evolutionary biology, and cognitive neuroscience. He therefore succeeds in placing his discussions of human behavior within a complete social and biological context. His arguments are usually well-presented and he makes an effort to offer evidence from both sides of the debate. The tone of the book becomes occasionally defensive, however, as Pinker launches into aggressive attacks on those squarely on the side of "nurture". Understandably, the question of nature versus nurture is socially and politically charged. Scientists such as E.O. Wilson, author of Sociobiology, who have proposed a role for genetics in behavior, have been condemned by scientists and political activists alike for the moral implications of suggesting these kinds of correlations. Pinker, therefore, is probably trying to anticipate such disagreements. Even so, the attitude conveyed in some of the particularly critical passages tends to detract from the arguments Pinker is trying to advance. Nevertheless, several interesting criticisms emerge in The Blank Slate. Throughout the book, Pinker suggests that scientists in the nature/nurture debate frequently allow their personal social and political beliefs to influence their scientific hypotheses regarding human behavior. For example, Pinker points out that geneticist Richard Lewontin and biologist Richard Levins declare in their book, The Dialectical Biologist, that "As working scientists in the field of evolutionary genetics and ecology, we have been attempting with some success to guide our research by a conscious application of file:///C|/Documents%20and%20Settings/JJL21/Desktop/bulletin/2003/WebonlyJanuary2003/book.html (2 of 3)11/13/2006 10:28:42 AM
The Harvard University BBS website: January Bulletin [socioeconomic theory]". Although Pinker's discussions about the morality and ethics of accepting the role of genetics in behavior lacks the persuasive power that underlines his scientific arguments, The Blank Slate is principally a thoughtful book that provides a thorough overview of the debate regarding the environmental and genetic components of behavior. [ back to top ] Copyright ©2003 - Harvard University. All rights reserved. Privacy policy file:///C|/Documents%20and%20Settings/JJL21/Desktop/bulletin/2003/WebonlyJanuary2003/book.html (3 of 3)11/13/2006 10:28:42 AM
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January 2003 - Division of Medical Sciences Bulletin - Harvard ...

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