The historical-cognitive development of concepts in Steven Pinker´s Evolutionary Psychology

Abstract

This article examines the work of Steven Pinker with the aim of assessing the significance of his research in addressing the challenges encountered by the social sciences in attempting to reconstruct the process of human development throughout history. Special attention is given to his attempt to characterize the cognitive nature of these obstacles. In this context, it is important to underscore the author's interest in surpassing an axiological and teleological interpretative framework of mind and culture through the historical reconstruction of cognitive development, including the secularization of human nature. To achieve this objective, the article begins by justifying the necessity to reconsider Pinker's work, given the current epistemological landscape within the social sciences. Subsequently, the discussion introduces the conceptual foundation of Pinker’s optimism. Emphasis is placed on his interest in leveraging the ideas of early twentieth-century continental psychology by introducing the novel framework of the modular model of the mind and adaptive systems. Finally, some of the limitations of this intellectual endeavor are outlined through a comparison with empirical records consolidated in other research areas such as psychogenetic studies represented by Norbert Elias and the historical-genetic theory of culture, shown to be the most significant continuation of psychogenetic endeavors.