The Better Angels of our Nature

Steven Pinker, one of the world's most exciting public thinkers, presents a radical re-assessment of human progress.

Listen to the fulll audio: www.thersa.org/events/audio-and-past-events/2011/the-better-angels-of-our-nature

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Education

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• royal society of arts
• rsa events
• 21st century enlightenment
• talk
• debate
• discussion
• steven pinker
• psychology
• pinker
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• Royal Society Of Arts

[Treyfecto]

Lol. These videos have the most intelligent comments on YouTube.

[xtronom]

This guy has a series of critical problems in his analysis, which nowadays should be apparent to anyone working with random variables.

But the most disturbing assumption he delivers is, that the western society has solved the problems of hunger and health, and on the other hand assumes existing tribal societies haven't evolved much for the last 50000 years.

It is becoming more and more clear, that we're the unsustainable society, and the tribal peoples are sustainable.

[UniversalPotentate]

"Social Pessimism is the impetus for progress." What a profound statement.

[mHalfLife]

look at him pretending to know what happened 1k years ago

LOL

[haptotrope]

Tho thoughtful trade and openness will be more important. Because, as I see it, the big violence decrease that you see should be plotted against hierarchical structures per capita. I also find this view to be interesting, and it has very little concern for the "bottom billion" -- And that the bottom billion is the "bottom" because there is some significant economic and tacit social violence.

[broadcaster1star]

Objection: There is a very important point that should be noted. When the data he puts forward is analyzed, it is correct that today seems the least violent of times, however, in our global system, the STATE has the only legitimate use of power, and again, the STATE has the means to make sure that violence is not documented, at least not in offical data like presented here.

[cutiko]

Lynchings FTW¡¡¡¡¡ Seriously; social organyzed violence is less avoidable than state monopoly of violence, get over it

[blhack]

This is incredibly similar to a talk that he gave at TED.

[sliksta36]

@IvarN Course not all ppl are born the same,said that in first post,&there are many diff factors--all induced by environment that contribute to the different ppl.But some1 does not become a bb player cuz they are tall, they c other ppl that are tall&play or propositioned to play,or take interest,unlike some1 who is not tall would not be asked or c any relationship to bb, but if that person had enough interest,then of course they could play using the right tech, and applying relative advantages.

[IvarNordman]

@xtronom yes, that might be true that our resourceconsuming western socity is not sustainable but it sure looks like it has decreased violence, and given that we are 7 billion there is no way at all we can all live like tribals, unless billions die tomorrow. Theres not enough space or naturaly occouring food to sustain more then maybe a few tens of millions. A swedish reaseracher did a study in the 90ths that showed swedens animals and plants could sustainable feed at most 15 000 people.

[IvarNordman]

@sliksta36 read his book the Blank slate and btw, the fact that not all people are born the same is a fact, some plp are 2 meters (7feet) tall, some plp are highly inteligent. That is no reason to discrimnated short or uninteligent plp. And just because you are born with a some traits that would aid you in a certain profession, like basketballplayer or physics, does not imply you must do those things, or that slightly shorter plp cant play basketball. You need intreset and will to get anywhere

[Npowell01]

cont.

For example, I was at work the other week and this one cashier was talking to a friend of hers who was in line.

"Girl, I don't even wanna do nunna dat bullshit round da table fuh thanksgivin'. I don't wanna here nunna dat reminiscin' or politics. I just wanna sit down, pray, and enjoy my food."

Most people I talk to seem that way. Very few have a genuine interest in the affairs of the world around them. I AM NOT spouting "elitist dreck" for noticing that.