The Blank Slate by Steven Pinker is about the nature of the human mind. Throughout history, there have been many different conceptualizations about the human mind, and these have had real consequences of politics, law, ethics, relationships, and religion. The way in which we choose to define the human mind is no mere intellectual exercise. … Read more
The Better Angels of our Nature by Steven Pinker argues that violence has declined with time. He does this by discussing the threats of violence one by one, going through what the statistical data shows us. Human malevolence is a constant threat to peace and prosperity, but while human beings do have an evil side, … Read more
There are less homicides today among unrelated men. But there has not been as much decline in violence within families (women or kin). Manuals such as Everyday Etiquette and Miss Manners’ Guide to Excruciatingly Correct Behavior used to be serious sources of moral conduct. Erasmus, one of the great foudners of modernity, wrote an etiquette … Read more
Pinker starts with pointing a hypocrisy that exists across all religions, but in particular, Christianity. Modern day Christians pay lip service to the Bible as their moral guide, but their morality really comes from other sources. The saints that are celebrated in Christianity all died in gruesome ways. They went through extreme forms of torture … Read more