Jeff Noonan

Department of Philosophy, University of Windsor, Windsor, Canada

ABSTRACT

The paper examines the normative content of Steven Pinker’s account of the relationship between the supposed civilizing tendencies of Enlightenment humanism and the spread of global peace. I argue that Pinker’s position is problematic because: a) it ignores historical counter-evidence about the more peaceful conditions of early human societies and b) it also ignores the contradictions implicit in liberal-humanist values. I conclude that the goodness or badness of social institutions comes down to how well they actually enable people to satisfy their needs and realize those capacities in non-destructive, mutually valuable, and ecologically sustainable ways. Creating those sorts of institutions demands struggle against existing liberal-capitalist state forms, an implication which Pinker’s ideological view overlooks.

ARTICLE HISTORY

Received 29 October 2018

Revised 14 January 2019

Accepted 19 February 2019

KEYWORDS

Humanism; war and peace; life-value

From: International Critical Thought 2019 9 (3)

Editor: Wang Yi