Talks & Entertainment

En·light·en·ment (ĕn-līt’n-mənt) n. A philosophical movement of the 1700’s that emphasized the use of reason to scrutinize previously accepted doctrines and traditions and that brought about many humanitarian reforms.

Civil unrest. War. Terrorism. Epidemics. Inequality. Environmental degradation. Famine and poverty. When you read the news, it looks like the world is falling apart. But is that truly the case? Harvard psychology professor and New York Times bestselling author Steven Pinker says, absolutely not.

In Enlightenment Now: The Case for Reason, Science, Humanism, and Progress, Pinker connects hard data with a keen understanding of the human mind to show that people worldwide are safer, freer, healthier, wealthier, and happier now than at any previous time in history. He lays out the reasons for how this progress happened and how we should continue it.

Enlightenment Now assesses the human condition in the third millennium and defends the values of the Enlightenment—reason, science, and humanism—to underlie the conviction that we can use knowledge to enhance human flourishing, confront problems, and continue our progress. Book signing to follow.