Book · 2003 · Psychology
The Blank Slate
The Modern Denial of Human Nature
- mentions
- 14
- people
- 8
- podcasts
- 7
- episodes
- 10
- critical mentions
- 0
Pinker's the blank slate is a book everyone should read i'll i say that without any asterisks it's an amazing accomplishment.
Jordan Peterson · The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast · Jun 2021 Listen at 1:38:23 What they say about it
- Discusses genetic determinism and parenting2
- Notes violent deaths in tribal societies2
The best things said about it
His book The Blank Slate lays all this out.
The Blank Slate, which had its own bit of controversy, but it's fun to see an intelligent argument presented into that space.
Neil deGrasse Tyson StarTalk Radio · Jan 2026 That's one of the things Pinker is right about in The Blank Slate—violent deaths in tribal societies in pre-modernity were way higher than the average violent deaths of a European male in the 20th century.
Douglas Murray The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast · Jul 2023 Well, because as Steven Pinker points out in The Blank Slate, the blank slate model that, you know, that culture determines everything and otherwise people are equal, that's more of a left-wing than right-wing view of human nature.
Michael Shermer The Rubin Report · Jan 2016 That's one of the thing that Steven Pinkers mentioned in his book. You know, every every parent of two kids starts to think that things are genetic because they're so different.
Where and when it comes up
Mentions per year
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How it comes up
Most mentions, by podcast
8 people who brought it up
Why people recommend it
The Blank Slate by Steven Pinker is a widely read nonfiction book that challenges the traditional sociological doctrine that the human mind is entirely shaped by culture and environment at birth, arguing instead for a nuanced view of innate human nature and genetics. David Buss recommended the book on The Joe Rogan Experience as a comprehensive breakdown of the denial of human nature. Jordan Peterson similarly praised the work on his podcast as an amazing accomplishment that everyone should read without reservation. On StarTalk Radio, Neil deGrasse Tyson discussed the book's initial controversy with the author, while David Bessis referenced Pinker's chapters on genetic determinism and family divergence on EconTalk. Joe Rogan also brought up the book with Bryan Callen on The Joe Rogan Experience to examine human nature and aggression, and Douglas Murray referenced Pinker's arguments on The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast regarding historical violence in tribal societies versus modern civilization.
Every mention
David Buss I'm I'm a big fan of his I've been asthma uh friends with him for for many many years and his book The Blan… 2
Discussed
“and his book The Blank Slate um lays all this out”
Recommended
“I'm I'm a big fan of his I've been asthma uh friends with him for for many many years and his book The Blank Slate um lays all this out”
Jordan Peterson pinker's the blank slate is a book everyone should read i'll i say that without any asterisks it's an amazi… 1
Recommended
“pinker's the blank slate is a book everyone should read i'll i say that without any asterisks it's an amazing accomplishment”
David Bessis That's one of the thing that Steven Pinkers mentioned in his book. You know, every every parent of two kids… 2
Discussed
“That's one of the thing that Steven Pinkers mentioned in his book. You know, every every parent of two kids starts to think that things are genetic because they're so different.”
Discussed
“Um there is it's actually the the notion that that Steven Per used at the beginning of the chapter 19 in the blank slate. The chapter is called the children. It's about genetic determinism.”
Douglas Murray I mean uh that's one of the things that pink is right on in the blank slate is uh deaths in tribal societie… 2
Discussed
“I mean uh that's one of the things that pink is right on in the blank slate is uh deaths in tribal societies pre-modernity way higher the the violent deaths way”
Discussed
“That's one of the things Pinker is right about in 'The Blank Slate'—violent deaths in tribal societies in pre-modernity were way higher than the average violent deaths of a European male in the 20th century. So, to some extent, this is a natural state.”
Joe Rogan you ever see stepen Pinker book the blank slate yes you know the the when uh the Anthropologist I can't rem… 2
Discussed
“you ever see stepen Pinker book the blank slate yes you know the the when uh the Anthropologist I can't remember their name”
Discussed
“like Steven Pinker and Steven Pinker wrote a book called the blank slate”
Michael Shermer Well, because as Steven Pinker points out in The Blank Slate, the blank slate model that, you know, that cu… 2
Discussed
“Well, because as Steven Pinker points out in The Blank Slate, the blank slate model that, you know, that culture determines everything and otherwise people are equal, that's more of a left-wing than right-wing view of human nature.”
Discussed
“Pinker argues about this in in the blank slate, you know, whole chapter on sex and all that stuff and you know, it men are obsessed with controlling women sexuality.”
Neil deGrasse Tyson I got you down here for a dozen books, several of them are some of my favorite books. You know, The Blank S… 1
Discussed
“I got you down here for a dozen books, several of them are some of my favorite books. You know, The Blank Slate, which had its own bit of controversy, but it's fun to see an intelligent argument presented into that space.”
Ryan Holiday if i remember the blank slate um and better better angels 1
Discussed
“if i remember the blank slate um and better better angels”
Mentioned on the show without a named speaker1
Discussed
“it seems like it's an entire book about how really smart people are really wrong about something”
Also mentioned in the same episodes
Other mentions (5: passing, ad reads, own books)
Plugged
“and in the case of Larry Summers part of it was that he based some of his arguments on a chapter in one of my books called gender in the blank slate the modern denial of human nature so I felt I already had a dog in that fight”
Passing
“the point i'm making is that you see the same thing in stephen pinker's work like the blank slate i'm sorry i hope i've got this right because i've read a couple of pinker's books”
Plugged
“In the case of Larry Summers, part of it was that he based some of his arguments on a chapter in one of my books called Gender in the Blank Slate, the Modern Denial of Human Nature.”
Plugged
“and then it is was a topic of my book the blank slate in the modern denial of human nature”
Plugged
“so the the blank slate the modern denial of human nature just was released in 2016 with an afterword was about the idea that that there is no such thing as human nature that we are blank slates written on by our parents by by the culture by education”