[Buddha-l] Re: S. Pinker

[Bshmr at aol.com]

Dr Hayes,

>> I started 'No Blank Slate'. Pinker lectures or pontificates. His 
endorsement of Hobbes is over the top -- Hobbes is a pet peeve.
>>

> You may have a different version of this book than the one I am reading. 
....
>

I had to use the index, backtracking to page 56, to find "In a nutshell: 
Hobbes was right, Rousseau was wrong." That sets me off, pushes a hot-button, etc. 
First, I tend to bigotry on Hobbes; I suppose as many Christians do on Satan. 
 Plus, the absoluteness in the statement is rejected out of hand. It is best 
that, IMO, that we let this bit lapse. I am not inclined to challenge Pinker 
on Hobbes anymore than challenging Jung on Job -- both, and Satan would make 
three, historical subjects have mind-bending issues.


> ... a professor profess, I must say I find Pinker's professorial style more 
readable and engaging than most.
>

Your correction of my "lectures, pontificates" to "Pinker profess-es ..." is 
excellent. The points on academia are well appointed and taken. Thank you.

**

Reading Pinker is being worthwhile.

The review of the development of the 'blank slate', 'noble savage', and 'deus 
ex machine' themes, for example, opens one's mind to context (relative) 
instead of the usual sterile isolate. One can draw a parallel to modern computer 
applications/systems which can be a collection of 'kludges' or mess of 'baling 
wire and duck tape' holding things together for use.

Personally, the 'blank slate' construct is something that I am conscious of. 
It has always been a complex, not binary, issue for me. Most overtly during 
the days of being a lowly undergraduate research assistant on a bio-psych 
project, around Riley Garner and his super-confidential twins project, etc. shooting 
the bull with the gang.

Personally, the 'noble savage' construct is a similar complex, not binary, 
issue for me. I recall my conflict over one weekend recuperating from surgery 
with a couple of those Gears' anthropological toss-offs -- the abusive, 
aggressive, bad-ass bully, sociopathic, etc. are problems.  Most significantly, I 
reduce actions to imagined 'primitive and tribal equivalents', as a heuristic 
frequently.

Personally, the 'deus ex machina' (?) construct is the one that Pinker helps 
clarify for me. It is a dilemma that I haven't a peace with yet, although I am 
certain that it is not a binary issue.

As you can see from the above, I relate to Pinker's material differently but 
I do relate. Please continue the dialog as I need the practice as well as 
benefit from your simplification.


Richard Basham, aka rbb  -- Make noise, leave sign; or, not.  @1986