“Yes, science is, in a sense, “reducing” us to the physiological processes of a not-very-attractive three-pound organ. But what an organ!”

Where else can you find out, to misquote Tolstoy, how unhappy families are all unhappy in the same way? (Evolutionarily speaking, parents want to allocate resources amongst their children equally. Children want a 2:1 ratio: they share half their genes with a sibling, but all their genes with themselves. The two groups disagree. So much for Tolstoy). Or that herding cultures are the most prone to honour violence? (They are both far from law enforcement and have assets that are easy to move and steal – they have to be prickly, as the Hatfields and McCoys found out). Or even that studies of boys raised as girls generally show that subjects display traditional ‘male’ behaviour?

Yes, it’s another Steven Pinker book, this time The Blank Slate, with opinions on how we think about children, fine art, morality, nihilism, and feminism. In it, Pinker argues that we vastly underestimate the importance genetics plays in human nature. We like to assume everything is culture because that means it’s under our control, but that simply isn’t the case. The dislike of evolutionary biology, he argues, stems from confusing ‘is’ and ‘ought’: people object to some biological imperatives, and so argue they are false. But genetics are not destiny, and simply because someone has a predisposition for selfish behaviour doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be criticized if they submit to it, or lauded if they overcome it. Parents should not abandon their children just because genetics explains half their variance, after all.

Pinker’s careful to stay in the middle; he certainly doesn’t deny the role of environment, but only wants the role of genetics to be recognized as well. I found the first third of the book a bit slow, in part perhaps because the nurture-is-all argument is less popular than it was, but the rest focused on his analysis of the implications of the science for morality, politics, and various social movements: all was excellent.

Pinker is always fun to read, definitely one of the wise we so like here at Subtle Illumination, and this book is no exception. Still, I wouldn’t start with it: I think Better Angels, for example, is even better. If you’re looking for a nice overview of evolutionary biology’s implications, though, The Blank Slate is a great start. If you do pick it up, though, I recommend reading it with someone else nearby; Pinker is at his best when excerpted and read out loud, if only to test the reaction of the listener and provoke yourself to think.