A history of violence

[ciphergoth]

Video from source, audio, download
Not quite a transcript (I think it's an essay based on the talk)

I watched this a while back, but the profound influence it's had on the way I think about the whole world has crept up on me. This 20 minute video is Steven Pinker giving a talk at the 2007 TED conference. His thesis is that these are the most peaceful times humanity has ever known, that the overwhelming trend in human history is for violence to go downwards, and that this is true whether you measure on a scale of decades, centuries, or millenia, and whether or not you include warfare.

Of course if you extend the timescale to include evolutionary time it's even more true - the murder rate among our closest cousins, chimpanzees and bonobos, makes South Central LA look like a sleepy hamlet (cf this or this). So I'm trying to be less surprised when people are occasionally a little thoughtless, or selfish, or mean, and a little more astonished that we don't kill each other daily...

Comments

[meihua.livejournal.com]

Thanks for posting this - I'm sure I'll agree with the video, but I'll watch it later tonight...

[gingiber.livejournal.com]

We're sorry this video is no longer available :(

[ex-pipistre.livejournal.com]

Hmmmn, interesting. I can't watch it now, so I can't comment on his evidence, but even trying to imagine it from an anecdotal perspective I can't find a counter-argument...

[topbit.livejournal.com]

I love the ted.com videos - I download and watch almost all of them. I will usually skip the music and dances, but all the talks are fascinating to watch, whatever the topic.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_lj_sucks_/]

Of course if you extend the timescale to include evolutionary time it's even more true

Yeah, and everyone talks about the Garden of Eden like it was some kind of paradise--but it had a 25% murder rate, fercrissakes (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cain)!

[jhg.livejournal.com]

So I'm trying to be less surprised when people are occasionally a little thoughtless, or selfish, or mean, and a little more astonished that we don't kill each other daily...

Actually that's my considered opinion too - but quashing the outraged/angry/frustrated feelings ain't as easy as all that...

[swiftangel.livejournal.com]

I miss working with Pinker. He's a fascinating man... if a rather strange boss. I'll have to watch the video when we're not on air.

[lilitufire.livejournal.com]

That's really interesting. Thank you.