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

If you believe that the world is ending, think again. People are living longer, healthier, more independent lives, and while there are many challenges facing us, the Enlightenment ideal of using reason and science to solve issues may help us overcome them.

Is everything really coming to an end? Is the progress ideal out of date? In this sophisticated analysis of the state of humanity in the third century, public intellectual and cognitive scientist Steven Pinker asks us to ignore the macabre headlines and dire predictions that appeal to our psychological prejudices. Rather, heed the information: Pinker demonstrates that life, health, wealth, safety, peace, knowledge, and happiness are all rising—not just in the West but across the world—in seventy-five astounding graphs. It is not some cosmic force that is causing this advancement. Conviction that reason and science may augment human flourishing is a gift of the Enlightenment.

We now know that the Enlightenment was not a misguided aspiration. It need a strong defence, however, now more than ever. The Enlightenment movement struggles with aspects of human nature that demagogues are all too eager to take advantage of, such as tribalism, authoritarianism, demonization, and magical thinking. Many critics wage a rearguard struggle against it because they are devoted to certain political, religious, or romantic ideas. The end effect is a propensity to destroy the priceless institutions of liberal democracy and international collaboration as well as a poisonous fatalism.

Enlightenment Now persuasively argues that reason, science, and humanism are the values we need to face our challenges and go forward, all while displaying a sophisticated writing style and depth of thought.