Everyone’s favourite linguist, Steven Pinker, is known for his theory that the mental machinery behind language is innate. In his latest book, , he asks what language tells us about how we think. He says the words and grammar we use reflect inherited rules that govern our emotions and social relationships. Jo Marchant asked Pinker why he thinks that concepts of space, time and causality are hard-wired in our brain, and why he’s turning his thoughts to violence
Why do you think grammar reveals our intuitive theories about the physical world?…
