"The Better Angels of Our Nature" Part 1: You're Not Wrong, Pinker. You're Just An *sshole
Feb 22, 2024
auto_awesome
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.
01:37:45
AI Summary
Highlights
AI Chapters
Episode notes
auto_awesome
Podcast summary created with Snipd AI
Quick takeaways
Historical decline in violence linked to literacy and empathy expansion.
Enlightenment ideals fostered humanitarian values and dismantled state violence.
Critics cite oversimplification in Pinker's enlightenment-centric analysis of violence decline.
Pinker's 'toxic optimism' minimizes impact of violent historical events and lacks nuance in analysis.
Deep dives
Decline of Violence Over Time
Violence has decreased significantly over centuries, with visible declines in homicides and state-sponsored violence. Historical evidence points to a shift towards less violence in society, attributed to changes in norms and literacy rates. The emergence of mass literacy and written records led to an expansion of empathy and a reevaluation of societal values.
Impact of Enlightenment Ideals
The Enlightenment era influenced a decrease in institutionalized violence and torture. Ideas of religious tolerance and humane treatments were gradually adopted, coinciding with the rise of literacy rates and expanding moral sensibilities. The spread of humanitarian concepts reshaped societal norms and contributed to a decline in state-sanctioned violence.
Debunking Oversimplified Narratives
Critics point out flaws in Pinker's attribution of all societal shifts to enlightenment ideals, highlighting the multifaceted nature of historical changes. The pluralistic causes of historical shifts, including demographic changes, cultural influences, and logistical developments, challenge Pinker's simplified explanations. Complex factors such as colonialism and societal inequalities raise questions about the completeness of Pinker's analysis.
Limitations of Enlightenment Explanations
Pinker's focus on enlightenment ideals as the sole driver of societal progress neglects the intertwined complexities of historical contexts such as colonialism and slavery. The Enlightenment's endorsement of humanitarian values was marred by the contradictions of upholding human rights while perpetuating violent colonial conquests. The failure to address the violent colonial legacy reveals a limitation in Pinker's narrative of progress.
Critique of Historical Narratives
Pinker critiques the traditional historical narrative that emphasizes the enlightenment and intellectual progress, while overlooking the complexities of events like scientific justifications for racism. He challenges the hero-worshiping view of the enlightenment era and the dichotomy between pre-enlightenment and modern eras.
Misinterpretation of Historical Violence
Pinker questions the notion that the 20th century was the bloodiest period in history, dismissing it as a statistical anomaly. He argues that extreme events like world wars were products of randomness and statistical distribution, detached from human action and moral implications.
Toxic Optimism and Oversimplified Views
Pinker's 'toxic optimism' downplays the significance of recent violent events like world wars, attributing them to statistical variations rather than acknowledging the tangible impact on modern ideologies and geopolitical structures. His reliance on flawed data sources and oversimplified analyses reflect a disconnect from the nuanced understanding of historical violence.
This week we're tackling Steven Pinker's 900 page dissection of the reasons why violence, torture and war have declined over the last 10,000 years. Was it an indeterminate mixture of politics, economics, technology and serendipity? Or did some European guys write some books that said murder was bad?
Special thanks to Philip Dwyer, Eleanor Janega, David M. Perry and Doug Thompson for help researching and fact-checking this episode!
