Steven Pinker Chalks It Up to the Blank Slate
1. What is the idea of the "blank slate"?
2. What are some of the reasons to doubt that our minds are "blank slates"?
3. What are some of the political or social appeals of the "blank slate" idea?
4. What evidence from the area of parenting supports Pinker's theory that we are influenced by
genetics and heredity?
5. Pinker is essentially arguing that all humans are influenced by both nature and nurture. We are
born with some aspects and we learn others through socialization. Do you agree or disagree with
his theory? Why or why not?