Steven Pinker on How Violence is Actually in Decline in the Long Term

Clip from an interview with Steven Pinker from The Science Network, creators of the Beyond Belief Conference:

http://thesciencenetwork.org/programs/the-science-studio/the-stuff-of-thought-2

In this clip, he describes his optimism about the decline of violence and savagery over the last millenium. Despite the popular opinion about how the modern era is one of unprecendented brutality, a dispassionate look at the facts tells a different story.

In the full interview, which runs for over an hour, topics range from how language gives us clues about the nature of the human mind to the similarities and differences in the ways that various cultures respond to moral questions such as the well-known "trolley problem".

Steven Pinker is Harvard College Professor and Johnstone Family Professor in the Department of Psychology at Harvard University. Until 2003, he taught in the Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences at MIT. He conducts research on language and cognition, writes for publications such as the New York Times, Time, and Slate, and is the author of seven books, including The Language Instinct, How the Mind Works, Words and Rules, The Blank Slate, and most recently, The Stuff of Thought: Language as a Window into Human Nature.

Visit http://thesciencenetwork.org for similar content.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• violence
• torture
• murder
• war
• slavery
• sacrifice
• punishment
• empathy
• psychology
• science
• steven
• pinker
• interview

[monsta123x]

i also read an article about mideval torture technique it had pictures of all the various intruments and i must say that it was the most horrible thing i had ever seen. Although i never got nightmares but nevertheless some of the devices were just mad.

[theinquisitor]

@monsta123x, indeed and I think that's one of the main reasons that it's essential to keep the light of reason and civilisation alive, lest humanity regress back to our savage ways.

[thefakeyeti]

And instead of attacking my points, you did a "polite" ad hominum...

I feel that you have no critical thought either..

You point out the bad and at the MINORITY of people and say"see.. we as a human race aren't any better!'

YES there are dog fights, however they aren't glorified by the MAJORITY of people, like they would've been in the past..

NOWHERE did ANYONE claim that violence is GONE, just todays millinum is better than last millinum

[SpellboundSolution]

Talking about "the rise from savagery and barbarism" is hardly politically correct, is it? I dare anyone to go out and say that North America is better now that it is civilized than when it was populated by savages. Go on. I dare you.

[astroboomboy]

@lolarathful Yeah I know!

[astroboomboy]

@lolarathful I think somebody should beat you instead...

[astroboomboy]

@CambridgeHeights Eh? Ultra-liberals (at least if you are referring to those within academic circles) share the assumption that violence is declining. The findings that point to this is mostly by anthropologists. The ones that constantly go on about violence in our society, and how we're all evil and sinners unless we have the shackles of religion over us are the conservatives.

[HIM0G]

That tie is awesome.

[CambridgeHeights]

ahh I love seeing ultra-liberals have their beliefs shattered by a brilliant academician.