The Better Angels of Our Nature: Why Violence Has Declined.

Jordan, Kayla ; Sutton, Geoffrey W.

THE BETTER ANGELS OF OUR NATURE: WHY VIOLENCE HAS DECLINED. Steven Pinker, Penguin, New York, NY 2011. ISBN 978-0-670-022953.

There's been a shooting in a Sikh Temple this morning. A lone gunman entered a Colorado theater and opened fire. Syrians are now engaged in civil war. Faced with daily news stories of death and destruction, it is easy to believe that things are getting worse. Not so, explains Harvard psychologist, Steven Pinker in his new work, The Better Angels of Our Nature: Why Violence has Declined.

Pinker combines in-depth historical research with rigorous psychological research to argue the case for a decline in global violence. As Pinker aptly points out, many people look at our age as one of unprecedented violence and terror to be viewed with pessimism. Drawing on historical analysis, psychological research and findings from related sciences such as anthropology, sociology, and economics Pinker argues that the data paint a very different picture. In the first chapter, Pinker takes the reader on a quick journey through the history of the world pointing out that the ancient and medieval worlds were very different than the world we live in today. Numerous prehistoric skeletons bear evidence of very violent deaths. Ancient people destroyed entire tribes. Romans carried out violent executions. Medieval Knights led lies of violence and other Europeans meted out horrendous punishments for acts which might not even be judged worthy of condemnation in today's democracies. Finally, the early 20th century saw two World Wars before the long peace ensued. In light of that history, Pinker argues that perhaps we should reconsider our assumptions about our own world.

In the first section of the book, Pinker identifies six historical trends which could have led to declines in violence. The first trend he calls the Pacification Process by which people gave up nomadic hunting and gathering lives for lives of agriculture in cities. Competition and anarchy in the prehistoric world made violence necessary for survival. The development of agriculture called for greater cooperation between individuals and the formation of governments to impose order created a world where violence was not always in one's best interest. Statistical analysis supports the idea that the emergence of states lead to a decline in violence. The second trend, the Civilizing Process, is an idea he developed from the work of Norbert Elias. In the late medieval and early modern periods, etiquette and social norms began to be important in social interactions, economics and technology began to advance, and governments began to become more centralized. This trend was also accompanied by a decline in violence. The third trend is the Humanitarian Revolution during which people began to increasingly find practices, such as torture, capital punishment, war and slavery, morally questionable. Empathy, compassion, and peace became important characteristics. The fourth trend is the Long Peace, which stems from the realization that since World War II no two major world powers have gone to war and, in spite of predictions to the contrary, nuclear weapons have never been used. The last three quarters of a century have been marked by an unprecedented time of peace. The fifth trend is the New Peace, which is marked as a time of recent history where war, terrorism, and genocide declined and their occurrences have become improbable. The last trend is the Rights Revolution. In the last century or so, the rights of ethnic and racial minorities, women, children, homosexuals, and animals have become increasingly important. Whereas violence against these groups was once considered normal, everyone's right against being harmed has become clearly recognized.

In the second part of the book, Pinker discusses our inner demons, or the parts of human nature, which incline us toward violence. Pinker begins with an explanation of how brain anatomy and physiology affect aggression and rage. From there, he discusses five motivations for violence: predation, which is simply violence as means to an end; dominance; revenge; sadism; and ideology. Pinker argues that the rise of psychology in recent decades has helped everyone to better understand these demons.

The last section of the book discusses the better angels, or the parts of human nature which incline us toward peace. These better angels include empathy, self-control, morality, taboo, and reason. Although these traits have always existed, the six historical trends have strengthened these traits. Overall, Pinker argues that while there are no guarantees that these nonviolent trends will continue, the data suggest that we may at least adopt a cautious optimism for the future.

Pinker's work bridges the gap between history and psychology. Often, in historical studies, the great overarching trends of history are lost in the study of the minutiae of the past. Psychology often emphasizes the present and tends to overlook the vastness of data available through historical study. In the study of violence, the separation of these two disciplines is possibly one of the factors contributing pessimism regarding violence. Looking at the big picture provided by both disciplines greatly illuminates the reality of past and present of violence.

Readers of JPC will find several reasons to add this work to their reading list. In addition to the highly relevant topic and well written presentation, researchers and graduate students will find numerous hypotheses worthy of testing. Clinicians and consultants will find intriguing considerations as they consider the demonic and angelic characteristics of those who struggle with violence in the home or workplace as well as strategies that have the potential to generate peace rather than destruction.

Reviewed by Kayla Jordan and Geoffrey W. Sutton (Evangel University/Springfield, MO).