PINKER: The third part of the subtitle of my book 'Rationality,' is 'Why It Matters.' And one of the reasons that it matters is that it helps to explain phenomena that I documented in the two proceeding books. My most recent book is called 'Rationality: What It Is, Why It Seems Scarce, Why It Matters.' I am a professor of psychology at Harvard University. By fostering these skills, we can nurture a more rational and informed society capable of addressing the challenges of our modern era. A more effective educational approach might emphasize probability theory, the elements of persuasive rhetoric, and developing empathy by understanding the perspectives of those with differing viewpoints. By teaching children critical thinking skills, we can better equip them to identify biases, emotional reasoning, and cognitive distortions.

So, how can we cultivate greater rationality in today’s complex world? Pinker believes that one key lies in improving education. Pinker maintains that humans are not innately irrational instead, our thought processes are better adapted to low-tech environments. His 2023 book, Rationality: What It Is, Why It Seems Scarce, Why It Matters, delves into the enigmatic nature of human progress, examining how we have achieved so many impressive scientific breakthroughs while concurrently succumbing to widespread irrationality, like fake news and conspiracy theories. Steven Pinker, a renowned Canadian cognitive psychologist and author, speaks to Big Think in this wide-ranging conversation on topics such as human progress, the tragedy of the commons, Bayesian reasoning, and strategies to curb our most destructive instincts, with the ultimate goal of improving the world for everyone.Ĭentral to Pinker’s argument is the promotion of rationality.

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