Is violence declining?

Steven Pinker discusses the History of Violence, how violence is decreasing over many timescales, and some reasons why. The three contending theories?


  • The state's monopoly on violence and disinterested penalties for aggression eliminate the need for constant deterrence and vendettas on an individual basis.
  • Violence is more common when life is perceived as cheap. As standards of living improve world wide, a higher value is placed on life.
  • Non zero-sum games such as trade make others progressively more valuable alive than dead.


I'll be interested to see if his next book moves into topics beyond language.





via Arts & Letters Daily