Enlightenment Now: The Case for Reason, Science, Humanism, and Progress

"Aterrificbook...[Pinker]recountstheprogressacrossabroadarrayofmetrics,fromhealthtowars,theenvironmenttohappiness,equalrightstoqualityoflife."--TheNewYorkTimesThefollow-uptoPinker'sgroundbreakingTheBetterAngelsofOurNaturepresentsthebigpictureofhumanprogress:peoplearelivinglonger,healthier,freer,andhappierlives,andwhileourproblemsareformidable,thesolutionslieintheEnlightenmentidealofusingreasonandscience.Istheworldreallyfallingapart?Istheidealofprogressobsolete?Inthiselegantassessmentofthehumanconditioninthethirdmillennium,cognitivescientistandpublicintellectualStevenPinkerurgesustostepbackfromthegoryheadlinesandpropheciesofdoom,whichplaytoourpsychologicalbiases.Instead,followthedata:Inseventy-fivejaw-droppinggraphs,Pinkershowsthatlife,health,prosperity,safety,peace,knowledge,andhappinessareontherise,notjustintheWest,butworldwide.Thisprogressisnottheresultofsomecosmicforce.ItisagiftoftheEnlightenment:theconvictionthatreasonandsciencecanenhancehumanflourishing.Farfrombeinganaïvehope,theEnlightenment,wenowknow,hasworked.Butmorethanever,itneedsavigorousdefense.TheEnlightenmentprojectswimsagainstcurrentsofhumannature--tribalism,authoritarianism,demonization,magicalthinking--whichdemagoguesarealltoowillingtoexploit.Manycommentators,committedtopolitical,religious,orromanticideologies,fightarearguardactionagainstit.Theresultisacorrosivefatalismandawillingnesstowreckthepreciousinstitutionsofliberaldemocracyandglobalcooperation.Withintellectualdepthandliteraryflair,EnlightenmentNowmakesthecaseforreason,science,andhumanism:theidealsweneedtoconfrontourproblemsandcontinueourprogress.