Why Violence Is Declining: The Shocking Truth Steven Pinker Reveals

When we look at the news, it’s easy to feel that the world is engulfed in violence, from wars and terrorism to crime and domestic abuse. But what if this perception is misleading? Steven Pinker’s "The Better Angels of Our Nature" presents compelling evidence that violence has actually declined over millennia, reaching historic lows today.

Starting with the distant past, Pinker dismantles the myth that prehistoric humans lived in peaceful harmony. Archaeological finds like Ötzi the Iceman, who died from an arrow wound 5,000 years ago, reveal a brutal reality filled with tribal warfare and interpersonal violence. Ancient epics and sacred texts further illustrate how total war, including the slaughter of civilians, was commonplace. This paints a stark contrast to the modern assumption that violence is a recent phenomenon.

But violence is not random or uncontrollable. It is a strategic behavior shaped by evolution. Our closest relatives, chimpanzees, engage in calculated territorial raids, showing that aggression is used when benefits outweigh risks. Human societies began to reduce violence through the rise of centralized states—what Pinker calls the Leviathan—that imposed order and punished aggressors, marking the first major pacification in history.

This was followed by the Civilizing Process in medieval Europe, where homicide rates dropped dramatically thanks to stronger monarchies, legal systems, and the spread of manners and self-restraint. The Age of Enlightenment sparked the Humanitarian Revolution, abolishing judicial torture, slavery, and sanctioned cruelty, and ushering in new moral frameworks that expanded compassion.

The 20th century introduced the Long Peace, where great powers avoided direct wars, and the New Peace, characterized by a decline in genocides and civil wars. Social movements further expanded rights for minorities, women, children, LGBTQ+ people, and animals, continuing the decline of violence at smaller scales.

Understanding the psychology behind violence reveals five inner demons—predation, dominance, revenge, sadism, and ideology—that drive aggression. Yet, humans also possess better angels: empathy, self-control, moral sense, and reason, which foster cooperation and peace.

Finally, Pinker identifies five historical forces sustaining peace: the Leviathan (state authority), commerce, feminization, cosmopolitanism, and reason. These forces have reshaped human societies, making violence less profitable, less glorified, and less acceptable.

In sum, "The Better Angels of Our Nature" offers a hopeful, data-driven narrative that violence is not an inevitable human condition but a problem humanity has been steadily solving. Understanding this history empowers us to nurture the better angels and continue the march toward a more peaceful world.

For a deeper dive into the evidence and arguments, see the full book and related reviews by major publications like The New York Times and The Guardian. 1 2 3