Blank Slate: Human Nature. Who and Why Refuses to Recognize It Today / Steven Pinker ; Translated from English. — M.: Alpina Non-Fiction, 2022. — 608 pages. For several centuries, many intellectuals have attempted to establish principles of justice based on the belief that a person is born a "blank slate," on which parents and society write their biography. Many authors desperately try to discredit the assumption of the innate nature of human traits, because if people are born different, then discrimination and racism are justified; if a person is a product of biology, then free will is merely a myth, and life has no higher meaning or purpose. Pinker convincingly shows that rejecting the analysis of human nature questions not only contradicts modern discoveries in genetics, neurobiology, and evolution theory but also distorts our understanding of ourselves. Are intelligence and talents inherited? Can violence in relationships between people and states be eradicated? Does free will exist, and along with it — responsibility for one’s actions? These are the questions tackled by cognitive psychologist Steven Pinker in one of his most significant books. UDC 159.922.38 BBK 88.311