Rebecca Goldstein facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Rebecca Goldstein
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Rebecca Newberger
February 23, 1950 White Plains, New York, U.S.
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| Alma mater | Barnard College (BA) Princeton University (PhD) |
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| Institutions | Columbia University Rutgers University Trinity College Harvard University New York University |
Rebecca Newberger Goldstein, born on February 23, 1950, is an American thinker, writer, and public speaker. She is known for her novels and non-fiction books. She has a special degree called a Ph.D. in the philosophy of science from Princeton University.
Goldstein is often seen alongside other writers like Richard Powers and Alan Lightman. These authors write stories that show a deep understanding and appreciation for science. In her non-fiction works, she often explores ideas about rationalism, which is the belief that reason is the main source of knowledge. She also believes that philosophy, like science, can make progress and help us understand the world better.
She has also developed an idea called "mattering theory." This theory explores what makes things important to people. It's a new way of thinking about how we value things, different from older ideas like utilitarianism. Her "mattering map" idea, first mentioned in her novel The Mind–Body Problem, has been used in many fields, including psychology and economics.
Rebecca Goldstein has received many important awards. These include the MacArthur Fellowship, the National Humanities Medal, and the National Jewish Book Award.
Early Life and Education
Rebecca Newberger grew up in White Plains, New York. She was born into an Orthodox Jewish family. She has an older brother who is a rabbi, and a younger sister. Her older sister passed away in 2001.
She studied at several colleges, including City College of New York, UCLA, and Barnard College. She graduated from Barnard College in 1972 as the top student in her class. After that, she earned her Ph.D. in philosophy from Princeton University. Her studies focused on how the mind works. Later, she returned to Barnard College to teach philosophy.
Writing Career and Books
In 1983, Goldstein published her first novel, The Mind-Body Problem. This book was a mix of serious and funny moments. It explored the struggle between feelings and intelligence. It also touched on the nature of brilliant minds, challenges for smart women, and Jewish traditions. Goldstein said she wanted to "insert 'real life' intimately into the intellectual struggle."
Her second novel, The Late-Summer Passion of a Woman of Mind (1989), was also set in a university. Her third novel, The Dark Sister (1993), was a fictional story about the life of William James. She then released a collection of short stories called Strange Attractors (1993). This collection was recognized as a notable book by the New York Times.
Characters from her short stories appeared in her next novel, Mazel (1995). This book won the National Jewish Book Award and the 1995 Edward Lewis Wallant Award.
In 1996, she received a special award called a MacArthur Fellowship. This helped her write Properties of Light (2000). This book was a ghost story that explored themes of love, betrayal, and quantum physics. Her most recent novel is 36 Arguments for the Existence of God: A Work of Fiction (2010). This book looks at ongoing discussions about religion and reason. National Public Radio named it one of their "five favorite books of 2010."
Goldstein has also written two books about famous thinkers. These are Incompleteness: The Proof and Paradox of Kurt Gödel (2005) and Betraying Spinoza: The Renegade Jew Who Gave Us Modernity (2006). Betraying Spinoza combined her interest in Jewish ideas with a focus on secularism and humanism. This book, along with 36 Arguments for the Existence of God, made her a well-known figure in the humanist movement.
In 2014, Goldstein published Plato at the Googleplex: Why Philosophy Won't Go Away. This book explores the history of philosophy and why it is still important today.
Besides Barnard, Goldstein has taught at other universities. These include Columbia University, Rutgers University, and Trinity College (Connecticut). She has also been a visiting professor at the New College of the Humanities in London and New York University. She gives talks and serves on important councils, like the Council on Values of the World Economic Forum.
Her writings have also appeared in many well-known magazines and newspapers. These include The Atlantic, The New York Times Book Review, and The Wall Street Journal.
Personal Life
Rebecca Goldstein married physicist Sheldon Goldstein in 1969. They later divorced in 1999. They have two daughters: Yael Goldstein Love, who is a novelist, and Danielle Blau, who is a poet.
In an interview, Goldstein shared about her personal journey with faith. She said, "I lived Orthodox for a long time. My husband was Orthodox. Because I didn't want to be hypocritical with our kids, I kept everything. I was torn like a character in a Russian novel. It lasted through college. I remember leaving a class on mysticism in tears because I had forsaken God. That was probably my last burst of religious passion. Then it went away, and I was a happy little atheist."
In 2007, Goldstein married Steven Pinker, who is a cognitive psychologist.
Awards and Honors
Rebecca Goldstein has received many awards and fellowships for her work:
- 2014 National Humanities Medal (presented by President Barack Obama)
- 2014 Richard Dawkins Award
- 2013 Montgomery Fellow, Dartmouth College
- 2013 Moment Magazine Creativity Award
- 2012 Franke Visiting Fellow, Whitney Humanities Center, Yale University
- 2011 Humanist of the Year by the American Humanist Association
- 2011 Freethought Heroine by the Freedom from Religion Foundation
- 2011 Miller Scholar, Santa Fe Institute
- Best Fiction Book of 2010 for 36 Arguments for the Existence of God by Christian Science Monitor
- Humanist Laureate by the International Academy of Humanism, 2008
- Fellow, Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard University, 2006–2007
- Guggenheim Fellow, 2006–2007
- Koret Jewish Book Award in Jewish Thought, 2006, for Betraying Spinoza
- Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, 2005
- MacArthur Fellow, 1996
- National Jewish Book Award, 1995, for Mazel
- Edward Lewis Wallant Award, 1995, for Mazel
- Whiting Award, 1991
See also
In Spanish: Rebecca Goldstein para niños
- American philosophy
- List of American philosophers
- List of novelists from the United States
- Philosophical fiction
