If Books Could Kill "The Better Angels of Our Nature" Part 1: You're Not Wrong, Pinker. You're Just An *sshole
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Feb 22, 2024 Delve into the intriguing arguments of Steven Pinker's dissection of violence's decline over 10,000 years. The hosts challenge simplistic views, exploring complex socio-economic and cultural factors that shape societal norms. They investigate historical homicide trends and the impact of early European settlements on today’s crime rates. Moreover, the discussion critiques the narratives around the Enlightenment and humanitarianism, emphasizing the need for nuanced understanding in historical contexts and contemporary conflicts.
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Declining Violence
- While violence overall has declined, Pinker's book, The Better Angels of Our Nature, posits this is due to several factors.
- These include politics, economics, technology, and even serendipity.
Hunter-Gatherer Violence
- Pinker attempts to trace low violence now back to primate ancestors, citing evidence of violence in hunter-gatherer societies.
- He uses skeletons and fossilized remains to suggest higher homicide rates than present.
Medieval Homicide
- Homicide rates in Western Europe now are around one per 100,000, while in the Middle Ages, they were about 100 per 100,000.
- This decline is mostly in stranger homicides, like duels, falling faster among upper classes.
