Enlightenment Now

Enlightenment Now. It is a 2018 book by the Harvard University psychologist Steven Pinker, which argues that the core ideals of the Age of Enlightenment—reason, science, humanism, and progress—have dramatically improved human well-being. Building upon the themes in his earlier work The Better Angels of Our Nature, Pinker presents extensive data to demonstrate long-term trends in areas like life expectancy, poverty, violence, and knowledge. The book serves as both a defense of Enlightenment values against modern criticisms and a call to apply them to contemporary challenges such as climate change and artificial intelligence.

Overview

The book is structured as a comprehensive data-driven defense of the Enlightenment project, positing that its application through institutions like liberal democracy and the scientific method has led to unprecedented human flourishing. Pinker systematically analyzes trends across numerous domains, using statistics from sources like the World Bank, the United Nations, and Our World in Data. He frames this progress as a direct result of the principles championed by figures such as Baruch Spinoza, John Locke, Voltaire, and Immanuel Kant. The narrative confronts what Pinker perceives as pervasive pessimism in modern intellectual circles, including parts of the humanities and political left, arguing that a factual understanding of progress is essential for tackling future problems.

Key arguments

Pinker’s central thesis is that measurable progress, driven by reason and science, is evident across nearly all metrics of human well-being. He documents steep declines in global extreme poverty, citing data from the International Monetary Fund and the work of economists like Max Roser. The book details the dramatic increase in global life expectancy, crediting advances in medicine such as vaccination and sanitation. Pinker argues that rates of violence, including war and homicide, have fallen to historical lows, extending arguments from his analysis of the Long Peace. He champions the spread of democracy, literacy, and equal rights as Enlightenment victories. Furthermore, Pinker contends that existential risks like nuclear war and climate change are best addressed not by abandoning Enlightenment ideals, but by redoubling commitment to innovation, international cooperation as seen in the Paris Agreement, and policy informed by empiricism.

Reception and criticism

The book received widespread attention and praise from figures like Bill Gates, who called it his new favorite book, and from publications such as The New York Times and The Economist. It was lauded for its optimistic synthesis of data and its robust defense of classical liberalism and cosmopolitanism. However, it also faced significant criticism from various academic quarters. Historians like Yuval Noah Harari and John Gray questioned Pinker’s narrative of progress, arguing it downplays catastrophes like World War II and the ongoing biodiversity loss. Some critics from the political left, including the sociologist William Davies, accused Pinker of status quo bias and of underestimating the threats of neoliberalism and inequality. Philosophers and ethicists, including those in the Effective Altruism movement, debated his treatment of existential risk from technologies like artificial intelligence.

Influence and legacy

*Enlightenment Now* solidified Pinker’s role as a prominent public intellectual advocating for secular humanism and scientific optimism. The book influenced discourse within organizations like The Royal Society and think tanks such as the Cato Institute. Its data-heavy approach popularized by Gapminder Foundation and Hans Rosling brought statistical trends on global development to a broader audience. The arguments continue to resonate in debates about globalization, environmental policy, and the defense of open society principles against rising populism and authoritarianism. While controversial, the work remains a pivotal reference point in contemporary discussions about the trajectory of human civilization and the intellectual heritage of the Scottish Enlightenment and the French Revolution.

Category:2018 non-fiction books Category:Books by Steven Pinker Category:Enlightenment