# Human nature and the blank slate

- Institution: TED
- Department: TED2003
- Speaker: Steven Pinker
- Year: 2003
- Level: For everyone
- Language: English
- Subjects: Psychology and the brain, Philosophy, Languages and linguistics
- Source: [TED](https://www.ted.com/talks/steven_pinker_human_nature_and_the_blank_slate)
- Licence: [CC BY-NC-ND 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/) (Non-commercial use only, and no changed versions.)
- Who can watch: Teens profiles and older (sources give no ratings; placed by Invisible Network from the source's own words)

Steven Pinker's book The Blank Slate argues that all humans are born with some innate traits. Here, Pinker talks about his thesis, and why some people found it incredibly upsetting.

## Lectures

1. [Human nature and the blank slate](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/learn/ted/steven_pinker_human_nature_and_the_blank_slate/d8c5914ff98b), 23 min (TED's player)