Enlightenment Now: The Case for Reason, Science, Humanism, and Progress

This book makes the case that (1) the world is better now on almost every quantifiable dimension than at any other time in its history, and (2) this is because of the decline of religion.

Pinker’s main point is that religion is bad and makes the world a worse place, and the improvement in life over the last hundred years is due to a rejection of religion and the rise of secular humanism.

Some may argue that his argument is more nuanced than that, but no matter how you argue it, this is what it basically boils down to. I certainly agree with him on point #1. I remain unconvinced on point #2.

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