At Salon, Steve Paulson interviews Steven Pinker and Rebecca Goldstein about their relationship, their work, and their atheism.

(Hat tip to Wade Smith on the SKEPTIC list.)

Historical Comments

Einzige (2007-10-16):

Jim,

I find much to disagree with in your assessment of Pinker in this post.

:-)

olvlzl (2007-10-16):

I used Steven Pinker's voice for Professor Lockheart when I read my niece the second Harry Potter book. Other than that he's pretty useless.

There, does that satisfy you, Einzige?

Einzige (2007-10-16):

olvlzl,

In the sense that you and your funhouse mirror through a cloudy lens view of the world is endlessly entertaining--yes, I am quite satisfied.

Einzige (2007-10-16):

Oops. I fucked up the verb in that sentence--and just after my English lesson from olvlzl, too.

How embarassing!

Hume's Ghost (2007-10-16):

Great! Now I remembered that I've been meaning to read her book on Spinoza.

olvlzl (2007-10-16):

your funhouse mirror through a cloudy lens view of the world is endlessly entertaining-

Odd, I was under the impression you weren't having any fun. Maybe it's Pinker's hair that put you in the carnival mood.

I don't think a charge of distortion or fuzzy thinking is exactly accurate. Though I am rather inclined to acknowledge the limits of human reasoning and knowledge. Perhaps its the insistence on real standards of skepticism instead of a pre-ordained program of attitudes and assumptions, not to mention platitudes, that causes the misunderstanding.

You know, I have been accused of being too nit-picky on atheist-skeptic blogs in the past.