Steven Pinker

The mind is a system of organs of computation, designed by natural selection to solve the kinds of problems our ancestors faced in their foraging way of life.

Language is a window into human nature.

The world has become a much less violent place, and the human mind has been a major driver of that change.

To understand the mind, we must understand the brain. But to understand the brain, we must understand the mind.

The idea that the mind is a blank slate is not just wrong, it's dangerous.

The greatest achievements of the human intellect have been to understand that the world is not as it appears to be.

Progress is not an accident. It's the result of human ingenuity and cooperation.

The universe is not obliged to be beautiful, but it is.

The human brain is the most complex object in the known universe.

Morality is not a divine gift, but a product of human evolution.

The world is not going to hell in a handbasket. It's getting better.

Common sense is not so common.

The mind is not a general-purpose computer, but a collection of specialized modules.

Language is not just a means of communication, but a tool for thought.

The pursuit of knowledge is the most noble of human endeavors.

Science is not just a body of facts, but a way of thinking.

The Enlightenment was not a historical event, but an ongoing project.

The human mind is a product of evolution, but it is not limited by it.

The world is getting smarter, healthier, freer, and richer.

The greatest threat to humanity is not ignorance, but the refusal to learn.