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Pinker on Progress and Pessimism
Steven Pinker discusses the ongoing progress of humanity despite persistent challenges like war and poverty, highlighting the importance of institutions and rational thought.
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- What are Pinker's concerns about a potential Donald Trump victory in the US elections?
- Pinker expresses concern that a Trump victory would negatively impact US leadership in the fight against climate change, international cooperation, and global trade. He sees Trump's potential return as a concerning development for the world.
- How does Pinker explain the existence of progress in the face of human flaws and challenges?
- Pinker explains that progress occurs because humans, despite cognitive biases, possess reasoning abilities and have created institutions like universities, democracies, and responsible journalism to promote truth and reduce errors. It's a constant struggle against the forces of disorder.
- Why does Pinker believe that despite evidence of progress, there are still conflicts and poverty?
- Pinker argues that despite ongoing conflicts and poverty, humanity has made undeniable progress due to human rationality and institutions designed to mitigate errors and promote truth. Progress is an ongoing battle, he says, between forces of disorder and human rationality and empathy.
- How does Pinker propose balancing freedom of speech with the dangers of a toxic digital environment?
- Pinker acknowledges the existence of toxic online environments but maintains that a balance between free expression and truth verification institutions is essential. He advocates for institutions that prioritize verifying information to counteract the spread of misinformation.
- Why does Pinker believe people are inclined to accept false narratives, and how does he suggest combatting this?
- Pinker believes that while people generally don't want to be deceived in daily life, they're more susceptible to accepting narratives that align with their group identity in broader contexts like politics and history. He emphasizes the role of institutions in establishing truth, and points to the need for objective truth-seeking tools like those found in journalism and academia.