Thomas Sowell is praised for his fearlessness, erudition, and insight across a wide range of topics, impacting the intellectual perspective of Steven Pinker.
Sowell's alignment with the political right and focus on books rather than academic journals may have limited his recognition in academia, but his willingness to challenge conventional wisdom has expanded intellectual discourse.
Deep dives
Stephen Pinker's admiration for Thomas Sowell
Stephen Pinker expresses high praise for Thomas Sowell, calling him one of the most brilliant and original thinkers he has read. He commends Sowell for his fearlessness, erudition, and insight across a wide range of topics. Pinker's admiration for Sowell originated from their shared interest in late-talking children. They developed a friendship and exchanged ideas, particularly regarding human nature and cultural explanations of group differences. Despite their ideological differences, Pinker acknowledges the impact and influence of Sowell's work on his own understanding of various subjects.
Sowell's impact in academia
Reflecting on Sowell's popularity in academia, Pinker suggests that Sowell's alignment with the political right and his writings' prevalence in right-wing newspapers may have contributed to his relatively lesser recognition in academic circles. Additionally, Sowell's prolific publication of books, as opposed to focusing on academic journals, might have limited his exposure among academics. Pinker admits that he is uncertain about the extent to which Sowell's books are assigned in courses but acknowledges the need for broader consideration of Sowell's perspectives in academia.
Sowell as a paradigm-shifting intellectual
Pinker shares his view that Sowell has been a paradigm-shifting force in his intellectual life. He appreciates Sowell's ability to bring forth alternative hypotheses and expand the space of plausible explanations. Pinker emphasizes the importance of trade-offs, a concept Sowell frequently explores, and admires Sowell's ability to analyze complex issues by considering the trade-offs involved. Pinker also discusses Sowell's critique of politicians and the public's willingness to believe impossible promises. He credits Sowell with challenging conventional wisdom and offering unique insights.
Controversial aspects of Sowell's work
Pinker acknowledges that Sowell's work has delved into controversial topics such as race and intelligence, history of slavery, education, economics, and politics. Pinker notes that Sowell does not endorse a genetic explanation for racial IQ disparities, but rather emphasizes environmental factors and cultural influences. He recognizes that Sowell's willingness to examine taboo subjects, even if his conclusions differ from mainstream views, has played a significant role in expanding the range of plausible explanations in intellectual discourse.
In this episode, I have a conversation with Dr. Steven Pinker, Professor of Cognitive Science at Harvard University.
We talk about what Sowell gets right and what he gets wrong. We talk about why Sowell is not better known in academia and what this tells us about Sowell, and also about academia.
Here are some useful links to things mentioned in the episode: • Here's a LINK to the theme music played in this episode. I highly recommend the Danish National Symphony orchestra, they have loads of fantastic music on Youtube. • Steven Pinker's Wikipedia page is HERE. • Atlantic magazine article about how they tried to cancel Steven Pinker HERE. • Steven Pinker's Twitter handle is @sapinker. • HERE is a funny Steven Pinker interview about taboo language (explicit!) • HERE is a good interview with Steven Pinker about his latest book "Rationality.". • HERE is a link to Steven Pinker's podcast "The Life of the Mind" • You can find Steven Pinker's personal website at StevenPinker.com • You can find Steven Pinker's photo albums HERE. • You can find Thomas Sowell's photo album HERE.
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