The Blank Slate

The Blank Slate appears often as a motif in Pinker’s work to stand for the idea that we are born without any kind of innate instinct, intuition, or human nature. The theory of the Blank Slate connects to the 17th and 18th century philosophy of empiricism, which believes that all human knowledge comes directly from our experiences and from interacting with the world with our senses. Using metaphors from computer science, Pinker argues against the Blank Slate and empiricism, claiming that cognitive science shows we come with pre-loaded systems that inform functions related to thinking, emotions, and our sense of right and wrong. Pinker believes the Blank Slate is a convenient idea for people trying to promote equality, but it is ultimately a fallacy. 

The Ghost in the Machine is the idea that humans have a soul that is not physical. This echoes principles of Cartesian dualism, which regards reality in terms of two distinct principles: the mind and matter. This has long been a principle of western philosophies and religions, and it remains a cherished idea among some groups because it endows human life with a sense of higher purpose, perfectibility, and morality. Pinker argues that the Ghost in the Machine is also a fallacy and that the mind is matter, a part of the body.