Taming The Devil Within Us Summary
Article Summary
Steven Pinker’s “Taming the Devil within Us”
Management and Writing Resources
Kristine Jensen
9.15.14
Many would assert that the world today is much more violent than that of years past. Steven Pinker would debate this, arguing that the world today has become less violent due increased reasoning. Pinker suggests that the psychological traits of reason, morality, and empathy explain how the decrease in violence has come to be. Due to increased literacy, higher achievement, analytical reasoning, and guided reasoning for the young in the last century, Pinker suggests that these traits have become more stimulated over time.
Furthermore, he explains, “reasoning,” is acquired through the transfer of concepts and knowledge from one person to another, enabling the capability to understand society. Pinker tells us that ‘reasoning’ humans have self-interests, promoting their own well-being and that of other like-minded societal groups. Morality can be a violent and non-violent trait dependent upon the intention, however when combined with societal and democratic norms and concern for well-being, Pinker concludes that those people are more prone to non-violence. Empathy is nurtured through knowledge and broad-based views in the world; an expansion of this trait along with reason, shows the correlation of why people have come to resist war and violence. Pinker explains that before civilization and throughout history, the accounts were much more murderous than that of our centuries’ wars. He gave examples referring to the many battles for empires, obliteration of native tribes, and world-wide slavery.
Over the last fifty years, Pinker pointed to an increased resistance to war along with an increased amount of rights activist groups, both attributing to the decline in violence. Pinker shows the link between reason and peace through an example which expresses that human ideas are first shared with societal groups, then transferred to
Steven Pinker’s “Taming the Devil within Us”
Management and Writing Resources
Kristine Jensen
9.15.14
Many would assert that the world today is much more violent than that of years past. Steven Pinker would debate this, arguing that the world today has become less violent due increased reasoning. Pinker suggests that the psychological traits of reason, morality, and empathy explain how the decrease in violence has come to be. Due to increased literacy, higher achievement, analytical reasoning, and guided reasoning for the young in the last century, Pinker suggests that these traits have become more stimulated over time.
Furthermore, he explains, “reasoning,” is acquired through the transfer of concepts and knowledge from one person to another, enabling the capability to understand society. Pinker tells us that ‘reasoning’ humans have self-interests, promoting their own well-being and that of other like-minded societal groups. Morality can be a violent and non-violent trait dependent upon the intention, however when combined with societal and democratic norms and concern for well-being, Pinker concludes that those people are more prone to non-violence. Empathy is nurtured through knowledge and broad-based views in the world; an expansion of this trait along with reason, shows the correlation of why people have come to resist war and violence. Pinker explains that before civilization and throughout history, the accounts were much more murderous than that of our centuries’ wars. He gave examples referring to the many battles for empires, obliteration of native tribes, and world-wide slavery.
Over the last fifty years, Pinker pointed to an increased resistance to war along with an increased amount of rights activist groups, both attributing to the decline in violence. Pinker shows the link between reason and peace through an example which expresses that human ideas are first shared with societal groups, then transferred to