Summary of Enlightenment Now... | Steven Pinker | Talks at Google

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00:00:00 - 01:00:00

In this talk, Steven Pinker discusses how Enlightenment values have led to progress in the world. He argues that these values need to be defended, and that they can be associated with the Enlightenment era of 17th- and 18th-century Europe. He also discusses the ideas of naturalism and entropy, and their implications for human welfare.

00:00:00 Steven Pinker discusses the Enlightenment ideals of science, reason, humanism, and progress. He argues that these ideals need a positive defense, and that they can be associated with the Enlightenment era of 17th- and 18th-century Europe. He also discusses the ideas of naturalism and entropy, and their implications for human welfare.
00:05:00 Steven Pinker discusses the Enlightenment and humanism in a talk at Google. He argues that human beings are endowed with a sense of sympathy and concern for the welfare of others, which by default leads to a small circle of sympathy. He points to the process of cosmopolitanism, education, journalism, art, and mobility as ways to expand our circle of sympathy. He argues that if we apply knowledge and sympathy to reduce suffering and enhance flourishing, we can gradually achieve progress. Steven Pinker is a professor of psychology at Harvard University and a prolific writer.
00:10:00 Steven Pinker discusses the progress made in reducing poverty around the world over the past 250 years in a talk at Google. He notes that while progress has been made, there is still much work to be done. He points to advances in technology, financial institutions, trade, and education as key drivers of this progress. He also notes that while poverty rates have decreased overall in developed countries, they remain high in some regions of the world.
00:15:00 Steven Pinker discusses how inequality has decreased in the past few decades, and that this is due in part to the growth of social welfare programs around the world. He also speaks about the decline in wars over the past few decades, and how this is due to the development of international institutions such as the United Nations.
00:20:00 Steven Pinker discusses the progress made in democracy over the past decade, emphasizing the importance of rule of law and police/court systems. He also notes the reduction in child labor and the increase in valuation of human life.
00:25:00 Steven Pinker discusses the trend of decreasing levels of violence across the world, with particular emphasis on technological advances in safety. He also points to instances of progress - such as increasing levels of literacy and decreasing rates of child abuse - that are difficult to credit to any single factor.
00:30:00 Steven Pinker discussed how advancements in technology and economics have led to decreasing levels of wastefulness, increased levels of leisure, and overall increased levels of happiness in many countries. While the United States has not experienced the same levels of happiness as other countries, the country has made progress in other areas.
00:35:00 Steven Pinker argues that human progress is evident in various ways, such as the decrease in emissions of major pollutants, the increase in protected land, and the decline in world poverty rates. He also cites the increased positivity in news coverage over the past few decades.
00:40:00 Steven Pinker discusses the idea of progress, pointing out that while it is not a miracle, it is still a good thing that things are getting better for some people. He also discusses the dangers of complacency and radicalism.
00:45:00 Steven Pinker discusses how the world has moved away from pre-Enlightenment values, citing examples such as happiness being the top destination of people who vote with their feet, secular liberal democracies being the happiest places on Earth, and knowledge being better than superstition and ignorance. He argues that applying knowledge and sympathy to enhance human flourishing is heroic, glorious, and even spiritual.
00:50:00 Steven Pinker defends Enlightenment values, which he believes have led to measurable empirically demonstrable progress in the past few centuries. He also notes that while some progress may require struggle and violence, this is not always the case.
00:55:00 Steven Pinker discusses how progress can be seen in different parts of the world, how a global trend of liberal values has increased over the last 60 years, and how younger people are more liberal than older people in most parts of the world.

01:00:00 - 01:00:00

In this talk, Steven Pinker discusses the trend of increasing happiness and decreasing violence across the world over the past 50 years. He attributes this trend to factors such as increased education and communication, as well as increased economic prosperity. However, he warns that it is too soon to say whether this trend has reversed in the last few years.