Steven Pinker

Steven Pinker claims to sum up the human mind in 5 words, "Brain waves fire in patterns." Pinker believes that a moral code is placed in a through evolution, just like how alcoholism, diabetes, or cancer seem to run in families. What about our moral code? I imagine most people completely and utterly disagree with Pinker, I know I do. But thinking about it in some situations isn't all that crazy. Quiet kids usually have quiet parents. Assholes don't fall far from the tree. Left brain parents usually have left brain kids. Right brain parents usually have right brain kids. So why not our morals? In Pinker's book, A Blank Slate, he talks about our parents that have a phobia or a quality in a field tend to pass it on to our kids. Looking at my family personally, my mother's side is full of contractors, dry-wallers, the fix-it guy. My dad's side, computer programmers, stay at home moms, cubicle jobs.

If we assume Pinker is correct, is it right to try to change someone? When one would have to fundamentally believe that their brain is hardwired to think that way?

The Moral Instinct by Steven Pinker