Pinker – Enlightenment Now

Concept

“Progress is not a matter of faith or optimism; it is a fact of history measurable through data and reason.” (p. 6)

Behavior

“Humanity’s move toward cooperation is driven by ‘The Better Angels of Our Nature’—reason, empathy, and self-control.” (p. 12)

Game Theory

“When people realize that trade is a positive-sum game, the incentive for war and conquest diminishes.” (p. 164)

Cognition

“Our cognitive faculties were designed for a world that no longer exists, yet reason allows us to transcend those limitations.” (p. 351)

Memory

“The ‘Availability Heuristic’ causes us to remember rare disasters more vividly than the steady, quiet march of progress.” (p. 40)

Dave's reading notes