Today I watched a TED talk my friend Laura shared with me. I was having a discussion about the death of Osama Bin Laden and whether it was ethical for America to kill him without a trial or arrest. I was closer to be undecided about it following his death, but now that it's been almost a year my mind is pretty made up. It was wrong of us to kill him. Though he was a terrible man, everyone has the right to a trial, a lawyer, and a jail cell. Even Nazis got trials.
So this TED talk is about the misconception that we live in a more violent world than our ancestors. Steven Pinker is a linguist who refutes the assumption, instead asserting that we are experiencing the most peaceful chapter in human existence.
Though he had some interesting points, I disagree with his overall message. Yes, when compared to the Middle Ages or the barbaric actions of the Roman Age we are living in a pretty civil time. We no longer hold public executions or feed Christians to the lions. But what is the point of making this claim? What is to be gained by dispelling this myth that we are still violent? Seems like he wants us to say, "sure the wars in the Middle East are bad, but it could always be worse!"
You can watch the 20 minute lecture here:
The Myth of Violence
One interesting piece of information he shared was the old French pastime of burning cats. In the 17th century Parisians would round up cats and burn them alive in the public square for the entertainment of the people. Glad we don't do that anymore.
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