Can Reason Save Us? – LIVE With Guest Steven Pinker

Colorful cityscape illustration featuring various buildings.

To an optimist, things are constantly getting better: disease and extreme poverty are down; life expectancy, literacy, and equality are up; and it’s all thanks to the glory of human reason. But a pessimist would point to the continuing presence of injustice, oppression, and war, and the dangers of global warming and nuclear annihilation. So who’s right? Are we really living in an age of progress? And can reason really save us?

Join the live audience at Kepler’s Books to record a new episode of Philosophy Talk with renowned cognitive scientist Steven Pinker!

Experience a live taping of Philosophy Talk radio, and see how much fun thinking can be

To an optimist, things are constantly getting better: disease and extreme poverty are down; life expectancy, literacy, and equality are up; and it’s all thanks to the glory of human reason. But a pessimist would point to the continuing presence of injustice, oppression, and war, and the dangers of global warming and nuclear annihilation. So who’s right? Are we really living in an age of progress? And can reason really save us?
 
Join the live audience at Kepler’s Books to record a new episode of Philosophy Talk, the nationally syndicated public radio show. Philosophers Ken Taylor and Josh Landy will welcome renowned cognitive scientist Steven Pinker, author of Enlightenment Now: The Case for Reason, Science, Humanism, and Progress. In addition to thought-provoking conversation, audience questions, and laughter, the show will feature Roving Philosophical Reporter Liza Veale, satirist and Sixty Second Philosopher Ian Shoales, and musical guest Tiffany Austin.
 
Book signing after the show.
 
This event is produced in conjunction with Kepler’s Literary Foundation.
 
 

 

Guest

Steven Pinker

Author and Cognitive Psychologist at Harvard University

When

September 6, 2018 7:00 pm

Where

Kepler’s Books in Menlo Park

Admission

$15 – $45