Simon Blackburn doesn’t much like Steven
Pinker’s most recent book on nativism. The most amusing part (among many)
is where Blackburn starts using plot details from The Flintstones to
work out what the world was like in hunter-gatherer days, and hence derive some
quick’n’dirty results in evolutionary psychology. But the most alarming part
was when Blackburn said, “it is not for its cultural history that people are
buying Pinker’s book in alarming numbers, but for the promise of a new
synthesis”. Alarming?! Pinker’s book is over the top, and as Blackburn
points out the enemy under attack is a strawman even by high school debating standards,
but I don’t know that makes it alarming that his book sells well. If only more
academic books would do so.

Simon Blackburn doesn’t much like Steven
Pinker’s most recent book on nativism. The most amusing part (among many)
is where Blackburn starts using plot details from The Flintstones to
work out what the world was like in hunter-gatherer days, and hence derive some
quick’n’dirty results in evolutionary psychology. But the most alarming part
was when Blackburn said, “it is not for its cultural history that people are
buying Pinker’s book in alarming numbers, but for the promise of a new
synthesis”. Alarming?! Pinker’s book is over the top, and as Blackburn
points out the enemy under attack is a strawman even by high school debating standards,
but I don’t know that makes it alarming that his book sells well. If only more
academic books would do so.