Steven Pinker

Violence has been declining for long stretches of history.

Cultural and institutional changes have played a significant role in reducing violence.

We are living in the most peaceful time in human history.

The rise of the nation-state has coincided with a decline in violence.

The decline of war is one of the great accomplishments of humanity.

Violence has been in decline over long stretches of history.

Empathy is a crucial component of our moral progress.

The rise of reason, science, and humanism is the key to reducing violence.

We have the capacity for both good and evil, and it is our choices that define us.

The psychology of violence shows that it is not innate but learned.