my long-term optimism, part whatever
Stephen Pinker argues that violence has been declining exponentially since the Enlightenment.
Not only has our cultural taste for actual (rather than depicted) sadism all but evaporated, but slavery is no longer socially acceptable (if still in veiled existence), women hold positions of political power across the world, there exists such a thing as reliable health care (if you’re lucky), and—by god—we have indoor plumbing and refrigeration.
Problems are solved only to be replaced by new problems, but I call this progress. The romanticization of life before the age of Reason is kind of fun, but seriously? Let’s not go back there.
The decline in violence I think has profound implications. It should force us to answer not just, why is there war? But also why is there peace? Not just what are we doing wrong? But also what have we been doing right? Because we have been doing something right, and it sure would be good to find out what it is.
I think the answer is just that we keep trying.