Steven Pinker: Modern Day Psychologist Deserving of USC Honorary Degree

In society today, education is a prime ingredient in establishing opportunities for an individual to succeed and it opens a plethora of doors that can possibly lead to bigger and better things. Current scholars are now being pushed into extending their educational lives with so much competition for jobs out in the “real” world. A degree certainly takes a tremendous amount of hours and dedication to receive, not to mention the stress and sleepless nights of studying and working hard. Earning a degree is a major step in life and four years worth of having school as the top priority culminates when that very significant piece of paper lies in hand. In comparison, an honorary degree requires more than just working towards an education and attending an institution for the amount of time it takes to accumulate enough units to graduate. It entails being a superior figure in a particular field in addition to serving and giving back to humanity. At a prestigious institution such as the University of Southern California the goal of the honorary degree committee is “[t]o honor individuals who have distinguished themselves through extraordinary achievements in scholarship, the professions, or other creative activities, whether or not they are widely known by the general public.” An honorary degree candidate should also exert influence on individuals through character and other role model attributes.

There are many great minds that have both changed and have left their mark on the field of psychology, which include Sigmund Freud, Carl Jung, and Alfred Adler. These extraordinary figures are considered fathers of exploring the mind and its complexity. Although not as prominent as the figures mentioned above, Steven Pinker (pictured above) has dedicated his life to the psychological world. His exquisite devotion has led him to great achievements and marvelous theories. Pinker can be categorized as an experimental psychologist, cognitive scientist, and popular science writer who is known for his advocacy of evolutionary psychology as well as the computational theory of mind. He is most famous for popularizing the idea that language is an “instinct” or biological adaptation shaped by natural selection rather than by general intelligence. Pinker’s ideas and contributions have given the field new branches to the already existing theoretical knowledge. The evolutionary mindset he imposed has brought about more experiments and studies to test the language area of the brain. According to Pinker’s website he is currently working on various research studies, one of which involves indirect speech and understanding “why people so often veil their threats, bribes, solicitations, and sexual come-ons in innuendo rather than blurting them out explicitly.” It has become a very rapidly growing research paradigm, especially amongst cognitive psychologists. These significant contributions have been a great addition to the science of the mind and behavior. He stated himself that “evolutionary psychology is one of four sciences that are bringing human nature back into the picture.” His stance towards the belief that the mind has evolved through the evolutionary process is shown in the quote. Many critics state that Pinker’s argument “derives root and branch from evolutionary psychology can never explain how the mind works because it is logically incapable of explanation.” Although there is a substantial amount of critics of the evolution theory, Mr. Pinker stands by his belief and by his research. His courageous effort of going against the tremendous amount of criticism has made him stronger and more dedicated. Through his loyalty, Steven Pinker has made his mark in the psychological world.

Although Steven Pinker is not widely known, he has an extensive educational resume that includes specializations in visual cognition and language development in children. He is a great scientific writer that has contributed four brilliant books, The Language Instinct, How the Mind Works, Words and Rules, and The Blank Slate. These books have earned him numerous awards, praising him for his work. The Blank State won the Yorkshire Post Book of the Year Award and was a finalist for the 2003 Pulitzer Prize, while How the Mind Works was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in 1998. Steve Pinker is more than deserving of an honorary degree from the University of Southern California due to his intellectual abilities, shown through his extensive resume of studying and working at both Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and life long effort in studying and exploring the realm of the complicated human mind. According to USC’s requirements, the recipient must be “widely known and highly regarded for achievements in their respective fields of endeavor.” He has spent much of his life researching the evolution aspect of development, which fits in perfectly with the research standards the University of Southern California upholds.

A potential candidate of an honorary degree should be an influential figure, not just to the individuals in his/her respected field but also to the populace in general. They have to be intelligent and able to touch the lives of the public for the better. Part of the responsibility when awarded the degree is to give a speech at commencement. Throughout the speech, Mr. Pinker would provide the graduating students with guidance that will help them in future undertakings. His ability to inspire can be seen in his statement that reads that, “a simple logical point is that no matter how important learning and culture and socialization are, they don't happen by magic.” This proclamation would bring hope and a never give up attitude to an audience filled with fearful individuals about to enter a new stage in their lives. In 2004, Steven Pinker was named one of Time Magazine’s 100 most influential people in the world. This respectable accomplishment has its value in that it involves the whole world not just the country. His intelligence has also led him to be one of Prospect and Foreign Policy’s 100 top public intellectuals in 2005. He has numerous honorary doctorates from the universities of Newcastle, Surrey, Tel Aviv, and McGill. The University of Southern California would continue to exemplify its excellence as one of the world’s leading research universities by honoring Steven Pinker and awarding him an honorary degree in science.