The better angels of our nature: why violence has declined

The Better Angels of Our Nature

They say that ideology is like breath: you never smell your own.1 And so I was not surprised to see my book The Better Angels of Our Nature: A History of Violence and Humanity described as ‘ideological’ by reviewers who strike me as black pots in glass houses casting the first stone. By the same token, it is not easy for an author to defend himself against such an accusation: ‘I am not ideologi...

The better angels of our nature: group stability and the evolution of moral tension

Moral systems require individuals to act in service to their social groups. Despite the human tendency to view moral norms as invariant and constantly deserving of adherence, we vary not only in the moral norms that we espouse but also in the degree to which our behavior reflects those norms. Nevertheless, moral systems exhibit patterns and complexity that suggest the action of natural selectio...

Editor’s Comments: the Better Angels of Our Nature—ethics and Integrity in the Publishing Process

Our profession has no formal audit function. More precisely, our research and publishing activities are not monitored by a formal audit process. Rather, our work rests on a foundation of individual professionalism and responsibility. The result is that ethics, not audits, serve as the primary assurance of integrity and fairness in our research process and the veracity of the products that emerg...

Editor’s Comments: the Better Angels of Our Nature—ethics and Integrity in the Publishing Process

Our profession has no formal audit function. More precisely, our research and publishing activities are not monitored by a formal audit process. Rather, our work rests on a foundation of individual professionalism and responsibility. The result is that ethics, not audits, serve as the primary assurance of integrity and fairness in our research process and the veracity of the products that emerg...

Has Canadian contraceptive use really declined?