When Everyone Knows That Everyone Knows...
Common Knowledge and the Science of Harmony, Hypocrisy and Outrage
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Steven Pinker je popredný kanadsko-americký experimentálny psychológ a kognitívny vedec, známy svojím širokým skúmaním ľudskej prirodzenosti a jej vzťahu k jazyku, histórii, morálke a politike. Jeho práca sa zameriava na jazyk a kogníciu, pričom obratne prepláva komplexnými témami s jasnosťou a prenikavosťou. Pinkerovo odvážne skúmanie spochybňuje bežné predstavy a vyzýva čitateľov, aby prehodnotili svoje chápanie ľudského správania a pokroku. Prostredníctvom svojho písania sa snaží osvetliť mechanizmy mysle a dôsledky poznania pre spoločnosť.







Common Knowledge and the Science of Harmony, Hypocrisy and Outrage
Gemeinsames Wissen und sein verblüffender Einfluss auf Geld, Macht und das tägliche Leben
Wie Gemeinsames Wissen unsere Gesellschaft bildet – die erste umfassende Theorie Von der Börse über internationale Beziehungen bis hin zu privaten Verabredungen: Tagtäglich treffen wir Annahmen darüber, was andere Menschen wissen und denken, und richten unser Handeln danach aus – oft, ohne uns dessen bewusst zu sein. Steven Pinker befasst sich in seinem neuen Buch damit, wie wir den Wissensstand anderer Menschen einschätzen. Anhand von zahlreichen Beispielen aus der Spieltheorie, der Geschichte und unserem Alltag zeigt er so klar wie unterhaltsam, dass unsere alltäglichen Interaktionen auf komplexesten Überlegungen beruhen – und warum diese Tatsache unser Zusammenleben entscheidend prägt.
Prečo je ľudstvo po celé stáročia napriek ohromnému technickému a inteligenčnému pokroku také náchylné veriť falošným poplašným správam, nezmyselným konšpiráciám a dokonca aj samozvaným liečiteľom – šarlatánom? Racionálne premýšľanie je ako šípka hodená správnym smerom a Pinkerov triezvy, humorný pohľad pomôže objasniť a posilniť naše vedomie – praktické myslenie.
Nachdem Bestseller-Autor Steven Pinker die Aufklärung verteidigt hat, zeigt er nun in seinem neuen Buch die Bedeutung von Rationalität. Denn nur mit ihr kann man sich orientieren in einer Welt, die aus den Fugen zu geraten droht. Durch Rationalität entdeckt der Mensch Naturgesetze, fliegt zum Mond und entwickelt in kürzester Zeit Impfstoffe. Auch wenn manche Menschen an Verschwörungstheorien und Fake-News glauben – der Mensch ist rational. Das unterscheidet ihn von allen anderen Lebewesen.Steven Pinker verteidigt aber nicht nur die Rationalität und zeigt ihre Stärken auf; er erläutert auch die wichtigsten Werkzeuge für rationales Denken. Er führt den Leser durch die Grundlagen der Logik und des kritischen Denkens, er erklärt Wahrscheinlichkeit und die Rolle des Zufalls, das Verhältnis von Glaube und Evidenz, Risiko und Statistik. Nach diesem Grundkurs in Rationalität sind wir gewappnet, rationale Entscheidungen allein und mit anderen viel besser treffen zu können. Denn Rationalität ist immer noch das beste Werkzeug, um unser Schicksal in die Hand zu nehmen.
Ak vás zaujala Roslingova publikácia Moc faktov, Steven Pinker ho vo svojich záveroch len podporí a doplní. Jeho kniha je plná vášnivého odporu voči pesimizmu a nesúhlasu so zaužívaným pocitom, že moderný svet je odsúdený na zánik. Pinker dôkladne preštudoval vývoj v minulých storočiach a dospel k jednoznačnému záveru, že život sa neustále zlepšuje. Dnes žijeme dlhšie, zdravšie, bezpečnejšie, šťastnejšie, blahobytnejšie a v mieri. Táto kniha je určená pre ľudí, ktorí majú radi argumenty a dáta. So Stevenom Pinkerom by ste sa fakt nechceli pohádať! Ak si myslíte, že sa svet rúti do pekla, táto kniha vás rozhodne vyvedie z omylu. Zistíte, že na tom vôbec nie sme tak zle, ako si myslíme a ako to často prezentujú senzáciechtivé médiá. Ak sa však k moci dostanú populisti a vydržia tam dosť dlho, všetko, čo sme zatiaľ ako ľudstvo dosiahli, môže byť ohrozené. Veda, rozum, humanizmus a pokrok sú základom ľudského blahobytu a treba za ne stoj čo stoj bojovať.
"Progress. It is one of the animating concepts of the modern era. From the Enlightenment onwards, the West has had an enduring belief that through the evolution of institutions, innovations, and ideas, the human condition is improving. This process is supposedly accelerating as new technologies, individual freedoms, and the spread of global norms empower individuals and societies around the world. But is progress inevitable? Its critics argue that human civilization has become different, not better, over the last two and a half centuries. What is seen as a breakthrough or innovation in one period becomes a setback or limitation in another. In short, progress is an ideology not a fact; a way of thinking about the world as opposed to a description of reality. In the seventeenth semi-annual Munk Debates, which was held in Toronto on November 6, 2015, pioneering cognitive scientist Steven Pinker and best-selling author Matt Ridley squared off against noted philosopher Alain de Botton and best-selling author Malcolm Gladwell to debate whether humankind's best days lie ahead, "--Amazon.com.
What is the secret of good prose? Does it matter in an age of digital media? In this witty, mind-expanding book about the art and science of writing well, Steven Pinker shows that good style isn't just about rules - it's about empathy, coherence and adding beauty to the world. 'Witty, direct and idiosyncratic . . . often laugh-out-loud funny . . . refreshingly uncensorious . . . It helps enormously that he is such a beautiful stylist himself.' Paula Byrne, The Times 'Wonderful . . . No true lover of this chaotic, unregulated, magnificently vital language could fail to thrill.' Christopher Hart, Sunday Times 'Brainy, funny . . . a comedy of linguistic bad manners.' Peter Conrad, Guardian 'Outstanding . . . the one book I can unreservedly recommend as a guide on how to write well . . . unique as well as brilliant.' Oliver Kamm, The Times
Before Steven Pinker became known for his bestsellers on language and human nature, he authored several influential technical monographs on language acquisition. His 1989 work, which integrates two significant topics—how children learn their mother tongue and how the mind categorizes fundamental concepts like space, time, causality, agency, and goals—has become a classic in cognitive science. Children exhibit remarkable subtlety in language use; for instance, phrases like "pour water into the glass" sound natural, while "pour the glass with water" does not. This raises the question of how children make these distinctions without consistent correction or merely mimicking their parents. Pinker addresses this paradox through a theory on how children grasp the meanings and applications of verbs, delving into its implications for language, thought, and their interrelation. In a new preface, he reflects on how the ideas explored in this work inspired his later bestseller, which examines language as a lens into human nature. He emphasizes that these technical discussions offer valuable insights into not only language acquisition but also literary metaphor, scientific understanding, political discourse, and societal views on sexuality and obscenity.
Collects for the first time Steven Pinker's most influential scholarly work on language and cognition. Pinker is a highly eminent cognitive scientist, and these essays emphasize the importance of language and its connections to cognition, social relationships, child development, human evolution, and theories of human nature.
Die moderne Leugnung der menschlichen Natur
Mit einem aktuellen Vorwort zur Neuausgabe! Auf John Locke geht die Vorstellung zurück, der Mensch sei ein leeres Blatt, auf dem im Verlauf des Lebens die persönlichen Erfahrungen eingetragen werden. In seinem mittlerweile klassischen Buch »Das unbeschriebene Blatt. Die moderne Leugnung der menschlichen Natur« bezieht Bestseller-Autor Steven Pinker ganz die Gegenposition: Mit Witz, Brillanz und Gelehrsamkeit analysiert er die Geschichte dieser Idee und zeigt, wie falsch sie ist – mit allen kruden Auswirkungen auf Vorstellungen von Sexualität, Rasse, Kindererziehung, Intelligenz usw. Die Rolle der Gene wird systematisch unterschätzt; aber das bedeutet nicht, dass wir ihnen völlig ausgeliefert sind. Pinker zeigt nämlich auch, wie befreiend diese Sichtweise sein kann. Ein unterhaltsames und anschauliches Buch zur Natur des Menschen, ein echter Lesegenuss.
A controversial history of violence argues that today's world is the most peaceful time in human existence, drawing on psychological insights into intrinsic values that are causing people to condemn violence as an acceptable measure.
The Stuff of Thought is an exhilarating work of non-fiction. Surprising, thought-provoking and incredibly enjoyable, there is no other book like it - Steven Pinker will revolutionise the way you think about language. He analyses what words actually mean and how we use them, and he reveals what this can tell us about ourselves. He shows how we use space and motion as metaphors for more abstract ideas, and uncovers the deeper structures of human thought that have been shaped by evolutionary history. He also explores the emotional impact of language, from names to swear words, and shows us the full power that it can have over us. And, with this book, he also shows just how stimulating and entertaining language can be.--provided by publisher.
A brilliant inquiry into the origins of human nature from the author of Rationality, The Better Angels of Our Nature, and Enlightenment Now. "Sweeping, erudite, sharply argued, and fun to read..also highly persuasive." --Time Finalist for the Pulitzer Prize Updated with a new afterword One of the world's leading experts on language and the mind explores the idea of human nature and its moral, emotional, and political colorings. With characteristic wit, lucidity, and insight, Pinker argues that the dogma that the mind has no innate traits-a doctrine held by many intellectuals during the past century-denies our common humanity and our individual preferences, replaces objective analyses of social problems with feel-good slogans, and distorts our understanding of politics, violence, parenting, and the arts. Injecting calm and rationality into debates that are notorious for ax-grinding and mud-slinging, Pinker shows the importance of an honest acknowledgment of human nature based on science and common sense.
Autor dáva odpovede na otázky: Ako funguje jazyk? Ako si deti osvojujú materčinu? Ako vznikajú nové slová? V ktorej časti mozgu je jazyk doma? Prečo majú jazyky také množstvo výnimiek a nepravidelností? ...a na mnohé ďalšie.
Il linguaggio è una delle caratteristiche umane più straordinarie. A quattro anni, un bambino conosce migliaia di parole e costruisce frasi complesse, superando l'intelligenza artificiale. Può una struttura così articolata nascere da zero, solo per imitazione? Noam Chomsky, negli anni Sessanta, ha proposto che tutte le lingue condividono una "grammatica universale", innata nel cervello del bambino. Steven Pinker va oltre, dimostrando che l'uomo possiede un istinto ereditario per il linguaggio, frutto dell'evoluzione naturale, simile alla proboscide di un elefante. Esistono geni del linguaggio? Pinker risponde di sì. I bambini non parlano subito poiché le strutture cerebrali necessarie richiedono tre anni per maturare. Il linguaggio si sviluppa anche attraverso la comunicazione, specifica per ogni società. Tuttavia, non pensiamo in una lingua specifica; esiste un linguaggio mentale astratto, il "mentalese", che forma i pensieri e viene tradotto nella lingua madre. In un mondo di scambi culturali sempre più frequenti, la teoria di Pinker riduce la distanza tra le culture, delineando una nuova visione dell'umanità.
A prominent cognitive scientist and author of The Language Instinct explains how the brain evolved to store and use information, allowing our ancestors to control their environment, and why we think and act as we do. 50,000 first printing.
In "The Language Instinct," Steven Pinker, well-known for his revolutionary theory of how children acquire language, lucidly explains everything you always wanted to know about language: how it works, how children learn it, how it changes, how the brain computes it, how it evolved. With wit, education, and deft use of everyday examples of humor and wordplay, Pinker weaves our vast knowledge of language into a compelling story: language is a human instinct, wired into our brains by evolution like web spinning in spiders or sonar in bats.