In Is Violence History, Peter Singer elaborates on the book Better Angels of Our Nature by Steven Pinker. Singer touches upon an interesting topic to talk about. Better Angels of Our Nature brings to light many of our common day questions and topics. The author, Pinker, takes on a philosophical approach of declining violence in society. Pinker makes the observation that people nowadays are less likely to suffer from a violent act or violent death. The decline of violence refers to anything – family, tribes, states. Pinker has even noted on the declined death rate amongst countries. For example, the chance of getting murdered in Europe is one tenth. On a deeper approach, Pinker questions whether this decline is related to Enlightenment, genetic changes, an increased I.Q. amongst the people and so forth. For example he asks, “Why are homicide rates higher in the southerly states of this country than in northern ones? Are aggressive tendencies heritable? Could declines in violence in particular societies be attributed to genetic change among its members? How does a president’s I.Q. correlate with the number of battle deaths in wars in which the United States is involved?” Pinker makes a really good observation and correlation between violence/death and the civilizing and intelligence of society.
Culture & Memory
It’s funny how Pinker believes that people’s IQ’s are getting higher. Many people would disagree with him, saying that America as a whole has gotten dumber and that the smart are dying off.
“How does a president’s I.Q. correlate with the number of battle deaths in wars in which the United States is involved?” That is an interesting and humorous question. I would like to read this book and see these statistics.
The decline of violence, I would assume, is due in large part to a heightened awareness among “intelligent” countries and consequent security measures taken to avoid violence. New York City, for example, has cultivated an awareness of the dangers of the subway system, and has implemented new policies that mandate the presence of police officers at various stations, resulting in fewer crimes. I hope the trend continues!
This is definitely a book that I would read! I find it interesting that while the latest statistics and books such as this one show that the rate of violent crimes is declining, the majority of people probably hold the perception that our society lacks morality and is ridden with criminal activities. The question of whether I.Q. is related to violence is especially intriguing. I wonder if Mr. Pinker address the influence of economic status in various countries and societies on violent crime rates…