Enlightenment Now (S01EP20)

Summary

In this transcript, the speaker discusses the progress of humanity, focusing on the reduction of violence, poverty, and disease. He highlights the positive changes, such as increased life expectancy and literacy, often overlooked by the media. The speaker attributes this progress to Enlightenment ideals of reason, science, and humanism, which drive collective efforts towards human flourishing. Despite setbacks like pandemics, he believes in the potential for continued progress through the application of knowledge and rationality.

Takeaways

• 📚 The speaker alternates between reading books on grand themes like human nature and specialized books on language and cognition.
• 📝 In 'The Sense of Style', the author applies his academic and psychological expertise to provide advice on writing elegant prose, avoiding common misconceptions about language.
• 🌟 The author was inspired to write about progress after being asked about eliminating poverty, realizing significant progress has been made in reducing it.
• 🌍 Positive changes are not limited to violence reduction but also include improvements in health, prosperity, and literacy worldwide.
• 📉 Despite global progress, the media tends to focus on negative events, leading to an underestimation of the improvements in human well-being.
• 🕊️ The author identifies the Enlightenment ideals of reason, science, and humanism as key drivers behind societal progress.
• 🧠 Reason allows us to understand the world better,质疑权威和教条，and seek empirical evidence for our beliefs.
• 🔬 Science, particularly public health, has contributed significantly to increased life expectancy and improved living standards.
• 🌱 Humanism emphasizes the flourishing of all human beings, not just a select few, as the greatest good.
• 🌱 Progress is not guaranteed and requires continuous effort and learning from past failures to improve conditions for humanity.
• 📚 The author's book 'Enlightenment Now' is a defense of reason, science, and human flourishing, which he finds controversial in today's climate.

Q & A

What is the main theme of the book 'The Better Angels of Our Nature'?

The main theme of the book 'The Better Angels of Our Nature' is the documentation of how the world has become a better place in terms of reducing violence.

What was the author's initial reaction when asked about eliminating poverty?

The author initially reacted with cynicism, suggesting that poverty could not be completely eliminated, quoting Jesus's saying that 'the poor you will always have with you.'

What surprised the author about the progress made in reducing poverty?

The author was surprised to learn that significant progress had been made in reducing extreme poverty, with organizations like the World Bank setting goals to eliminate world poverty by 2030.

What other dimensions of human well-being have shown improvement according to the author?

According to the author, other dimensions of human well-being that have shown improvement include increased life expectancy, decline in extreme poverty, diseases, and illiteracy, and an increase in literacy rates, especially for girls.

Why is the positive news about human progress often overlooked?

The positive news about human progress is often overlooked because the news media tends to focus on negative events such as famines, pandemics, wars, and terrorist attacks, rather than on gradual improvements.

What does the author attribute the progress in human well-being to?

The author attributes the progress in human well-being to a set of ideals associated with the Enlightenment, including reason, science, and humanism.

How does the author define 'reason' in the context of the Enlightenment?

In the context of the Enlightenment, 'reason' is defined as using collective brain power to understand how the world works, being skeptical of dogma and authority, and seeking empirical evidence to test the validity of beliefs.

What is the role of science in improving human well-being according to the author?

According to the author, science plays a crucial role in improving human well-being by applying knowledge of the physical world, particularly in the field of public health, leading to advances that have increased life expectancy and reduced disease.

What is 'humanism' as defined by the author?

Humanism, as defined by the author, is the moral philosophy that the greatest good is the flourishing of human beings and sentient beings, advocating for the well-being of all.

Why does the author believe progress is not guaranteed?

The author believes progress is not guaranteed because the universe is indifferent to our well-being and there are many ways for things to go wrong. Progress requires conscious effort, the application of reason and science, and the collective pursuit of human flourishing.

How does the author view the recent pandemic in the context of human progress?

The author views the recent pandemic as an example of the age-old curse of pestilence that can set humanity back temporarily. However, with science and reason, humanity can mitigate the pandemic, prevent it with vaccines, and treat it with drugs, eventually recovering from it.