“As the world has gotten more rational, it has gotten less cruel.”
Steven Pinker · The Better Angels of Our Nature, 2011
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The decline of violence may be the most significant and least appreciated development in the history of our species.
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About this quote
Meaning
Pinker is pointing to a paradox: one of the most profound shifts in human history, the long-term decline in organized and interpersonal violence, goes largely unnoticed because people tend to focus on present-day conflicts and tragedies rather than zooming out across centuries. He is arguing that our collective failure to recognize this trend is itself a problem, because it distorts our understanding of how far humanity has actually come.
Context
This line comes from Pinker's wide-ranging 2011 book, in which he marshals historical data and social science research to argue that humans are living through the most peaceful era on record. He draws on statistics covering everything from battlefield deaths to homicide rates across different societies and time periods. The book challenged widespread pessimism about human nature and modernity, sparking serious debate among historians, psychologists, and political scientists who both praised and contested his conclusions.
About the author
Steven Pinker is a cognitive psychologist and linguist who has spent his career studying language, mind, and human nature. He is a professor at Harvard University and has written several widely read books aimed at general audiences. His work often draws on evolutionary psychology and empirical data to challenge popular assumptions about the human condition. He is known for his defense of Enlightenment values, his optimistic reading of historical trends, and his willingness to take positions that run against prevailing intellectual fashions.
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