WASHINGTON, DC, USA, October 22, 2011 (huffingtonpost.com): Contrary to common perception, violence worldwide is diminishing. [HPI note: Violence per person is diminishing; see the numbers at source.]
Yes, there’s still bloodshed nearly everywhere you look–Africa, Pakistan, Iraq, Afghanistan, the US, Mexico and even Norway–but historically, we’ve never had it this peaceful. The reality is not painted in the bloody anecdotes that make “good copy” for the news media, but demonstrated in the black and white of spreadsheets and historical documents. The statistics show dramatic reductions in war deaths, family violence, racism, rape, murder and all sorts of mayhem. It’s the story of a world moving away from violence.
Prominent Harvard psychologist Steven Pinker writes, “The decline of violence may be the most significant and least appreciated development in the history of our species.” His new book, “The Better Angels of Our Nature: Why Violence Has Declined,” posits that a smarter, more educated world is becoming more peaceful in several statistically significant ways. His findings are based on peer-reviewed studies published by other academics based on data from graveyards, surveys and historical records.
As an example: The number of people killed in battle–calculated per 100,000 population–has dropped by 1,000-fold over the centuries as civilizations evolved. Before there were organized countries, battles killed on average more than 500 out of every 100,000 people. In 19th century France, it was 70. In the 20th century, with two world wars and a few genocides, it was 60. Now battlefield deaths are down to three-tenths of a person per 100,000.
(A long article on this interesting subject can be found at source.)