As Steven Pinker explains in The Better Angels of Our Natures, human violence has declined dramatically over recent millennia, centuries, and decades—a trend Pinker attributes to profound, culturally driven changes in how we think, feel, and organize our societies. These changes include shifts toward democratic governance, states with legal monopolies on the use of force, entertainment that fosters empathy, legal rights for the vulnerable, science as a source of verifiable knowledge, and mutually advantageous commerce.
