The Better Angels of our Nature

A History of Violence and Humanity

Steven Pinker

Book Synopsis

"The Better Angels of Our Nature" by Steven Pinker is a groundbreaking exploration of violence and peace throughout human history. Pinker argues that despite the perception of an increasingly violent world, we are actually living in the most peaceful era of our species' existence.

Using an extensive range of data, Pinker demonstrates the decline in violence across different time periods and geographical regions. He presents evidence that supports the notion of a "civilizing process" which has gradually led humans to adopt more peaceful behaviors and institutions.

Pinker examines some of the root causes of violence, including the role of biology, culture, and psychology. He delves into the effects of political ideologies, economic development, and technological advancements on the reduction of violence in society.

In addition, Pinker explores the impact of societal institutions such as democracy, human rights, and gender equality on the decline of violence. He emphasizes the importance of empathy, reason, and moral progress in fostering a more peaceful world.

"The Better Angels of Our Nature" challenges common misconceptions about human nature and highlights the potential for further progress in reducing violence. Pinker's comprehensive analysis provides readers with a deeper understanding of the factors that have contributed to the astonishing decline of violence in our world, offering a hopeful perspective for a more peaceful future.

Explore More Books

See All
The Varieties of Religious Experience
Artemis
Only the Paranoid Survive
In Over Our Heads
How The Internet Happened
Shaping the Future of the Fourth Industrial Revolution
The Story of the Human Body
King Lear
The Song of the Cell
Lost Ocean
Brave New Words
Behind the Beautiful Forevers
As One Is
The Ten Golden Rules of Leadership
Q.E.D.
Where are the Customers Yachts
Evolving Ourselves
Scaling People
The Little Liar
The Humanure Handbook
Where Mountains Roar
The Enchiridion
The Singularity Is Near
Radical Candor
Freedom from the Known
I Wrote This Book Because I Love You
State of the Art
The Method Method
When To Jump
The Art of Memoir
Crucial Conversations
Maps of Meaning
David Bowie
The Odyssey
The Devil’s Financial Dictionary
How to Teach Your Baby to Read
The Essays of Schopenhauer
The Demon Under The Microscope
I Want To Be A Mathematician
Philosophy and Scientific Realism
Heretics of Dune
Savage Son
Modelling Extremal Events
Proof of Corruption
Peter Pan
Determined
More From Less
Superhuman
Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World
The Meaning of It All
The Giving Tree
Lincoln
Linchpin
The Evolution of Everything
The Design of Everyday Things
My Forty Years with Ford
Survival to Thrival
The Origin of Species
Friday Forward
An Elegant Defense
Permaculture: A Designer's Manual
Anything You Want
Relentless
How Will You Measure Your Life?
American Crusade
Screw Business As Usual
The Quest
The Law
Forged in Crisis
Range
On The Move
Call Me by Your Name
QED
Seveneves
Just Kids
The Holy Bible
Secret Sauce
The Plot Against the President
Liberal Privelege
Toussaint Louverture
The Museum of Other People
Winners Take All
The Tipping Point
Portraits of Interiors
Winning The Loser's Game
Days of Rage
Treasure Island
Financial Derivatives
Creative Selection
When Reason Goes on Holiday
Great Short Poems
The Fatal Conceit
World War 3.0
The Art of Possibility
Getting It Done
Road to Wigan Pier
I am Benjamin Franklin
Kill Decision
Very Classy