Steven Pinker

Steven Pinker's Opinions

Cognition Could a computer ever be conscious? Neutral How can I be so confident that consciousness is secreted by the brain tissue in my skull, rather than lurking in the software that my brain is running? ... Perhaps the human mind, a mere product of evolution [...], is biologically incapable of understanding the solution. If so, our invention the computer would present us with the ultimate tease. Never mind whether a computer can be conscious. Our [own] consciousness, the most obvious thing there is, may be forever beyond our conceptual grasp. The Ungraspable Truth Pitch   Edit Pitches 18 Aug 1997    Source God Does God exist? Mostly Disagree My criticism of religion [...] was defensive, meant to counter the argument that morality can only come from a belief in a soul that accepts God's purpose and is rewarded or punished in an afterlife. I think the evidence suggests that this doctrine is false both logically and factually. I don't make a point of criticizing religion in general. Some hard-headed biologists and evolutionary theorists believe that an abstract conception of a divine power is consistent with conventional Darwinism. Edit Pitches 30 Oct 2002    Source Does belief in God have a significant genetic component? Neutral To sum up. The universal propensity toward religious beliefs a genuine scientific puzzle. But many adaptationist explanations for religion, such as the one featured in Time last week, don't, I think, meet the criteria for adaptations. There is an alternative explanation, namely that religious psychology is a by-product of many parts of the mind that evolved for other purposes. Edit Pitches 29 Oct 2004    Source Is God just? Disagree The moral design of nature is as bungled as its engineering design. What twisted sadist would have invented a parasite that blinds millions of people or a gene that covers babies with excruciating blisters? To adapt a Yiddish expression about God: If an intelligent designer lived on Earth, people would break his windows. Edit Pitches 07 Aug 2005    Source

Science Did complex life evolve through the process of natural selection? Agree It's natural to think that living things must be the handiwork of a designer. But it was also natural to think that the sun went around the earth. Overcoming naive impressions to figure out how things really work is one of humanity's highest callings. Our own bodies are riddled with quirks that no competent engineer would have planned but that disclose a history of trial-and-error tinkering: a retina installed backward, ... goose bumps that uselessly try to warm us by fluffing up long-gone fur. The Nature is Nasty Pitch   The Counterintuitive Pitch   Edit Pitches 07 Aug 2005    Source Religion Does religion encourage good behavior? Disagree Many people who accept evolution still feel that a belief in God is necessary to give life meaning and to justify morality. But that is exactly backward. In practice, religion has given us stonings, inquisitions and 9/11. Morality comes from a commitment to treat others as we wish to be treated, which follows from the realization that none of us is the sole occupant of the universe. Like physical evolution, it does not require a white-coated technician in the sky. Edit Pitches 07 Aug 2005    Source Artificial Intelligence Is a technological singularity likely? Disagree There is not the slightest reason to believe in a coming singularity. The fact that you can visualize a future in your imagination is not evidence that it is likely or even possible. Look at domed cities, jet-pack commuting, underwater cities, mile-high buildings, and nuclear-powered automobiles--all staples of futuristic fantasies when I was a child that have never arrived. Sheer processing power is not a pixie dust that magically solves all your problems. The Sarcastic Pitch   The Fiction Pitch   The Incoherent Pitch   Edit Pitches 01 Jun 2008    Source Philosophy Is truthfulness a characteristic of a politician who is good for the people? Mostly Disagree ...I think politicians have low credibility because our institutions at present don't reward truth-telling among them. Quite the contrary. It's easy to get away with blatant lies and misleading euphemism and doublespeak. So the incentive structure favors bending the truth among politicians, more so than one finds in the institutions of science. The Nature is Nasty Pitch   Edit Pitches 01 Sep 2008    Source

Comparisons with Other Experts and Influencers

The similarity between Steven Pinker and each expert and influencer is calculated by looking at how the same questions were answered. These figures are used to calculate conforming, nonconforming, and projected opinions. The accuracy of the analysis depends on Steven Pinker's coverage, which grows with the number of their opinions entered into TakeOnIt.

Conforming Opinions

Steven Pinker's conforming opinions are opinions that align with the group of experts and influencers Steven Pinker typically agrees with.

Nonconforming Opinions

Steven Pinker's nonconforming opinions are opinions that contradict the group of experts and influencers Steven Pinker typically agrees with.

Projected Opinions

Steven Pinker's projected opinions are opinions Steven Pinker is expected to have if their opinions align with the experts and influencers that they typically agree with.