In 2002, Dr. Steven Pinker, a leading cognitive and evolutionary psychologist at Harvard University, published a book titled, "The Blank Slate," which argued that humans are born with some innate traits. For this post, please view the TED talk"Human Nature and the Blank Slate"(22 min) in which Dr. Pinker discusses the thesis of his book and why it was so controversial.

After viewing the video please discuss the following questions: why do you think some people found his arguments to be so upsetting? What are the societal implications for Pinker's thesis? What are the societal implications for the "blank slate" view, which argues that the human mind is entirely shaped by socialization, culture, parenting, and experience?

https://www.ted.com/talks/steven_pinker_human_nature_and_the_blank_slate?language=en