Natures Son

摘要

Leaning back comfortably on a sofa in a Washington, D.C., hotel, Steven Pinker, acclaimed psychologist and bestselling author, dreams up homicidal fantasies for the squeamish. A boat goes down on the open seas. "What a shame," he says cheerily, "no life preservers!" Then, pulling a frown, the 48-year-old Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor says, "Such bad luck, to get the tainted beef." Where's he going with this? Pinker is trying to convince a reporter that violent tendencies are part of everyone's genetic makeup―even that of people who'd cringe at the thought of wielding a knife or a gun. His larger point: Although most of us agree in theory that our genes help shape our minds, we're quick to deny our genetic inheritance when explaining real human actions and impulses.