Name: The surprising decline in violence
Uploaded: 2007-09-10T10:55:00Z
Duration: 19 min 1 s
Description: Steven Pinker charts the decline of violence from Biblical times to the present, and argues that, though it may seem illogical and even obscene, given Iraq and Darfur, we are living in the most peaceful time in our species' existence.

Steven Pinker charts the decline of violence from Biblical times to the present, and argues that, though it may seem illogical and even obscene, given Iraq and Darfur, we are living in the most peaceful time in our species' existence.

The surprising decline in violence

Despite images of war and genocide in recent decades, violence has been declining across centuries and even millennia. Early hunter-gatherers faced much higher rates of death by violence than modern societies, where homicide rates have dropped more than 100-fold since the Middle Ages. This trend accelerated with the rise of centralized states and broader empathy, making the present possibly the most peaceful era for our species. Understanding this shift challenges assumptions about human nature and the progress of civilization.