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sapinker's profile
Steven Pinker
Steven Pinker
Steven Pinker
Verified account
@sapinker

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Steven PinkerVerified account

@sapinker

Cognitive scientist at Harvard.

Boston, MA
pinker.wjh.harvard.edu
Joined January 2010

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    Steven Pinker‏Verified account @sapinker May 21

    Why we need more science in the humanities: Madeleine Albright argues that chaos causes Fascism. Proof? Germany, Italy etc. were chaotic then Fascist. Um, what about the countries that were chaotic but didn't become Fascist?https://nyti.ms/2HewncN 

    7:11 AM - 21 May 2018
    • 95 Retweets
    • 460 Likes
    • Steve-O-Matic João Frade bruceT73 &Sons Adam Quickfall Benjamin Stephenson Fredy Arias Lilith Suhas R Gowtham
    70 replies 95 retweets 460 likes
      1. New conversation
      2. Cathy Davidson‏Verified account @CathyNDavidson May 21
        Replying to @sapinker

        What is your point, @sapinker? Madeleine Albright is by no definition a "humanist." "Causality" is a tricky word. Periods of chaos + social breakdown, historically speaking, have sometimes been exploited by authoritarian leaders to become fascistic states. Period.

        1 reply 1 retweet 8 likes
      3. Eric Greenbaum‏ @EricGreenbaum May 21
        Replying to @CathyNDavidson @sapinker

        Humanities refers to a certain area of educational subjects taught in school. No real connection to the concept of Humanism.

        1 reply 0 retweets 2 likes
      4. Cathy Davidson‏Verified account @CathyNDavidson May 21
        Replying to @EricGreenbaum @sapinker

        It's almost the disciplinary equivalent of an ad hominem argument. Just silly is all. Historical argumentation is typically very careful about assigning "causality" but complex in analyzing trends and confluences and influences.

        1 reply 0 retweets 1 like
      5. Eric Greenbaum‏ @EricGreenbaum May 21
        Replying to @CathyNDavidson @sapinker

        An ad hominem is an attack on a person rather than a position. Clearly Pinker was not making any point related to Albright personally but her argument.

        0 replies 0 retweets 0 likes
      6. End of conversation
      1. New conversation
      2. Dylan Tweed‏ @Dylan_Tweed May 21
        Replying to @sapinker

        Holding my breath for the day politicians cite the proportion of variance explained by their predictor of choice!

        1 reply 0 retweets 7 likes
      3. John Charpentier‏ @snpsandsnRNPs May 21
        Replying to @Dylan_Tweed @sapinker

        When the State of the Union starts with a review of Bayes' theorem...🤣

        0 replies 0 retweets 2 likes
      4. End of conversation
      1. New conversation
      2. Geofrey Crow‏ @GigglingStream May 21
        Replying to @sapinker

        I admire you, Dr. Pinker, but you're seriously oversimplifying the argument of the article to score rhetorical points. The article mentions three different conditions that held in fascist countries. And I gather it's only a fraction of Albright's argument in the book.

        1 reply 0 retweets 7 likes
      3. Ashley Anderson‏ @abmladybug May 21
        Replying to @GigglingStream @sapinker

        Thank you! Exactly.

        0 replies 0 retweets 1 like
      4. End of conversation
      1. Sietske Bergsma‏Verified account @SBergsma May 21
        Replying to @sapinker

        And: 'But problems only become opportunities for fascists and other antidemocrats if their opponents can’t or won’t address them.' This is the bigger issue/danger, and it isn't 'conservatives' or right-wing opponents who is not letting opposition in... So.

        0 replies 1 retweet 4 likes
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      1. New conversation
      2. Benedict Evans‏Verified account @benedictevans May 21
        Replying to @sapinker

        This is not ‘science’. It’s ‘rigour’. It’s what any historian who last studied science at 16 would say. I’m sure you don’t really think that basic logic is an attribute of science rather than humanities, but this kind of phrasing makes it way to assume you do.

        1 reply 2 retweets 10 likes
      3. 2 more replies
      1. New conversation
      2. Benjamin Matheson‏ @benjaminmatheso May 21
        Replying to @sapinker

        I just got punched in the face and now my nose is broken. My friend also punched in the face, but their nose isn't broken. Do you think the punch in the face didn't cause my nose to break? Asking for me.

        1 reply 0 retweets 3 likes
      3. Jake Wojtowicz‏ @JakeWojtowicz May 21
        Replying to @benjaminmatheso @sapinker

        Maybe we need more humanities in the sciences, so people can understand that "cause" is complicated.pic.twitter.com/Z9SzFwh0qG

        0 replies 0 retweets 2 likes
      4. End of conversation
      1. New conversation
      2. Lucas Lynch‏ @lucasjlynch May 21
        Replying to @sapinker

        Also needs more critical thinking when she says "there's a special place in hell for women who don't help other women", as if being a woman means we must support the likes of Marine Le Pen or Michelle Bachmann for high office.

        3 replies 0 retweets 11 likes
      3. 1 more reply
      1. New conversation
      2. Matthew Downhour‏ @MatthewDownhour May 21
        Replying to @sapinker

        Were there non-chaotic countries that became fascist? If not - then we can safely, scientifically conclude that chaos is likely a necessary condition for fascism to take hold, even if it does not do so in every event. 'Smoking kills' is not disproved by a few old, living smokers

        1 reply 0 retweets 9 likes
      3. Zackery Martin‏ @Cloudraise May 21
        Replying to @MatthewDownhour @sapinker

        This is a sound argument, but capable of being dealt with. Because if you look at anytime a country falls into chaos, the only thing that is likely to happen. Is that the political system changes in a non-benign way. Chaos fell on the colonies, and almost all are democratic now.

        1 reply 0 retweets 0 likes
      4. Echo Chamber‏ @EchoChamber451 May 22
        Replying to @Cloudraise @MatthewDownhour @sapinker

        So chaos doesn’t necessarily lead to fascism, but it still could be a necessary factor.

        0 replies 0 retweets 1 like
      5. End of conversation

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