The Data Should Make You Happy!
Preview:
Steven Pinker has become chief cheerleader for modernity. In his 2011 book, The Better Angels of Our Nature, he marshaled mountains of evidence to show that violence, both private and public, has significantly declined over the last 200 years. While atrocities naturally continue to draw our attention, they are actually less prevalent than ever before. If we avoid the “availability bias” of sensational headlines and study the broad spectrum of relevant information, we can see that, as a species, we are moving away from violence.
Originally published: April 10, 2018
Author: Michael S. Roth
Position: President
Institution: Wesleyan University
Published by: Inside Higher Ed