It seems that every time you open a newspaper or watch the nightly news, you you hear about a new tragedy, another symptom of an increasingly violent world. And yet, in the aftermath of many violent tragedies, there are no violent reprisals, no mobs out for vengeance. Instead there are candle-light vigils and memorial services. In his latest book, cognitive psychologist Steven Pinker explains that despite such acts of violence, we’re actually living in a period of extraordinary peace. Thanks to the spread of government, literacy, trade, and cosmopolitanism, Pinker says we’re largely abiding by the better angels of our nature, and he joins us Monday to make his case. (Rebroadcast)

GUEST