August 13, 2005

"Give Us Schmaltz!"

From my 2002 interview with Steven Pinker, author of The Blank Slate:

Q: Aren't we all better off if people believe that we are not constrained by our biology and so can achieve any future we choose?

A: People are surely better off with the truth. Oddly enough, everyone agrees with this when it comes to the arts. Sophisticated people sneer at feel-good comedies and saccharine romances in which everyone lives happily ever after. But when it comes to science, these same people say, "Give us schmaltz!" They expect the science of human beings to be a source of emotional uplift and inspirational sermonizing.


My published articles are archived at iSteve.com -- Steve Sailer

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