Steven Pinker and David M. Kennedy
Recently I attended Steven Pinker’s lecture discussing his latest book, “The Better Angels of Our Nature.” This nytimes review provides a great summary if you’re not familiar with it. The talk was part of the Long Now seminar series, hosted by Steward Brand.
Very short summary: death from violence has been declining throughout history, and we are currently experiencing an unprecedented “long peace.”
It’s a counterintuitive proposition. The world often seems on the brink of mass destruction.
But the evidence Pinker presents is compelling. Walking down Market in San Francisco at night (which I did to get to the lecture, past dice games, thuggish types lurking in the shadows, anarchists in hoodies, etc.) is much safer than the Mongol steppes under the reign of the Khans, or Europe during World War II.