Gewalt

The history of humanity is an endless succession of war, genocide, murder, torture, and rape. And it keeps getting worse. But is that true?

In a true opus magnum, a large-scale comprehensive history of our civilization, world-renowned evolutionary psychologist Steven Pinker examines the development of violence from prehistoric times to the present day and in all its individual and collective forms, from spousal abuse to planned genocide. Drawing on a wealth of scientific evidence from a variety of disciplines, he first demonstrates that violence has steadily declined throughout history and that we are currently living in the most peaceful era of humanity. This astonishing fact demands an explanation: Pinker identifies six developments in his analysis that have favored this trend, explores the psychology of violence through five inner demons that promote violent behavior, names four human traits that counteract these inner demons, and finally isolates five historical forces that allow us to live in the most peaceful time ever. Pinker's portrayal revolutionizes our view of the world and of humanity. And it offers hope and courage.