Mike Palij wrote: > In this Sunday's NY Times Book Review, Steven Pinker reviews > Malcolm Gladwell's new book "What the Dog Saw and Other > Adventures" which is available at: > http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/15/books/review/Pinker-t.html?_r=1&nl=books&emc=booksupdateema1&pagewanted=all > or > http://tinyurl.com/ygpb9yd > >
Yes, Gladwell makes errors. Of course, being told this by the guy who claimed that evolutionary(!) purpose of fiction is to simulate various scenarios to ourselves so that we will have a plan when the time comes makes me think what we have here is a classic case of a very big pot calling a very small kettle black (and Pinker deriding Gladwell as a "brand" makes me LOL all over the floor). By the way, if you're inclined to believe Pinker on the purpose of fiction, here is Jerry Fodor's definitive (to my mind) reply: "[H]ere's Pinker on why we like fiction: 'Fictional narratives supply us with a mental catalogue of the fatal conundrums we might face someday and the outcomes of strategies we could deploy in them. What are the options if I were to suspect that my uncle killed my father, took his position, and married my mother?' Good question. Or what if it turns out that, having just used the ring that I got by kidnapping a dwarf to pay off the giants who built me my new castle, I should discover that it is the very ring that I need in order to continue to be immortal and rule the world? It's important to think out the options betimes, because a thing like that could happen to anyone and you can never have too much insurance. (/In Critical Condition/, p. 212) Chris -- Christopher D. Green Department of Psychology York University Toronto, ON M3J 1P3 Canada 416-736-2100 ex. 66164 [email protected] http://www.yorku.ca/christo/ ========================== --- To make changes to your subscription contact: Bill Southerly ([email protected])
