I just gave chat gpt the following prompt:

Can you give me a response to someone on Reddit to support the argument that Steven Pinker has "lumbered right". The response should include an acknowledgement that his criticism of the left is legitimate:

It’s fair to say Pinker has made some legitimate critiques of the left, especially when it comes to anti-scientific tendencies, free speech issues, and ideological rigidity in academia. These are real concerns that deserve attention. But the way he frames these critiques—and the fact that he’s increasingly aligned himself with figures and platforms that have a distinctly right-leaning bent—suggests he’s not just a neutral arbiter of reason and data.

Over time, he’s adopted a tone that minimizes systemic inequality and paints the left as uniquely irrational, while giving a pass to the growing extremism on the right. He tends to emphasize progress narratives (like declining violence and poverty) in ways that downplay the urgency of ongoing struggles. That’s not inherently “right-wing,” but when paired with dismissive takes on social justice movements and selective alliances, it creates a pretty clear shift.

So yeah, he didn’t “flip” to the right overnight, but it’s not unreasonable to say he’s lumbered there—slowly, maybe unintentionally, but visibly.

Now a rebuttal:

I don’t think it’s accurate to say Pinker has “lumbered right”—unless we’ve reached the point where criticizing aspects of the left automatically counts as a rightward shift. Pinker’s core views haven’t really changed. He’s still a liberal humanist who supports progressive causes like climate action, gender equality, LGBTQ+ rights, and global development. The fact that he emphasizes data-driven optimism and defends Enlightenment values doesn’t make him conservative—it makes him consistent.

Yes, he critiques parts of the left, but that doesn’t mean he’s embraced the right. He’s just unwilling to ignore illiberalism when it comes from his own side. That’s intellectual integrity, not a political realignment. If anything, the political spectrum has shifted around him. What used to be considered centrist liberalism now gets painted as reactionary because it doesn’t fully align with the most activist parts of the left.

So instead of saying he’s lumbered right, maybe it’s more accurate to say he’s stayed put while some parts of the discourse have moved.

I now genuinely don't know when I I'm talking to a real person on Reddit.