Rationality: What It Is, Why It Seems Scarce, Why It Matters is a 2021 book written by Canadian-American cognitive scientist Steven Pinker.[1] The book was published on September 28, 2021, by the Viking imprint of Penguin Random House.[2]
.png) First edition cover | |
| Author | Steven Pinker |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Subject | Rationality |
| Publisher | Viking |
Publication date | September 28, 2021 |
| Publication place | United States |
| Pages | 432 |
| ISBN | 978-0-525-56199-6 |
| OCLC | 1237806678 |
| 153.4/2 | |
| LC Class | BF441 .P56 2021 |
It argues that rationality is a key driver of moral and social progress, and it attempts to resolve the apparent conflict between scientific progress and increasing levels of disinformation. Pinker explains several concepts underlying rationality, including from the fields of logic, probability theory, statistics, and social choice.[3]
Reception
editThe book debuted at number nine on The New York Times nonfiction best-seller list for the week ending October 2, 2021.[4]
In its starred review, Publishers Weekly wrote, "He manages to be scrupulously rigorous yet steadily accessible and entertaining."[5] To Andrew Anthony on The Guardian, Pinker, not a "dry and humourless slave to rational thought", "knows that what we find funny is often nothing more than clever inversions of logic".[6] Kirkus Reviews wrote, "The author can be heady and geeky, but seldom to the point that his discussions shade off into inaccessibility."[7]
On The New York Times, Jennifer Szalai commented that "The trouble arrives when he [Pinker] tries to gussy up his psychologist's hat with his more elaborate public intellectual's attire",[8] while Anthony Gottlieb noted Pinker's tendencies to "exaggerate the popularity of ill-founded beliefs" and to devote "plenty of space to advocating rationality, which the authors of similar works have not found necessary to do, perhaps because anybody who chooses to read about rationality is probably already in favor of it."[9]
References
edit- ^ Pinker, Steven (2021). "Rationality: What It Is, Why It Seems Scarce, Why It Matters". stevenpinker.com. Retrieved 2021-05-12.
- ^ Pinker, Steven. "Rationality: What It Is, Why It Seems Scarce, Why It Matters". Penguin Random House. Retrieved 2021-10-07.
- ^ "Rationality: What It Is, Why It Seems Scarce, Why It Matters". Penguin Random House. 2021. Retrieved 2021-05-12.
- ^ "Combined Print & E-Book Nonfiction - Best Sellers - Books". The New York Times. Retrieved October 7, 2021.
- ^ "Nonfiction Book Review: Rationality: What It Is, Why It Seems Scarce, Why It Matters by Steven Pinker. Viking, $32 (432p) ISBN 978-0-525-56199-6". Publishers Weekly. June 7, 2021. Retrieved October 7, 2021.
- ^ Anthony, Andrew (2021-10-04). "Rationality by Steven Pinker review – it all stands to reason". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2023-08-14.
- ^ "Rationality: What It Is, Why It Seems Scarce, Why It Matters by Steven Pinker". Kirkus Reviews. June 23, 2021. Retrieved October 7, 2021.
- ^ Szalai, Jennifer (2021-09-29). "In 'Rationality,' Steven Pinker Sticks Up (Again) for Reason's Role in Human Progress (Published 2021)". The New York Times. Retrieved 2023-08-14.
- ^ Gottlieb, Anthony (2021-10-03). "In Praise of 'Rationality' (Published 2021)". The New York Times. Retrieved 2023-08-14.
External links
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