Enlightenment Now: The Case for Reason, Science, Humanism, and Progress

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In Enlightenment Now, Steven Pinker contends that Enlightenment-era values—reason, humanism, and science—are crucial yet undervalued. He argues against modern pessimism, demonstrating through quantitative evidence that, contrary to widespread beliefs, society has made significant progress in areas such as health, safety, and human rights, and advocates for continued adherence to these foundational principles to further improve society. The book references mental health conditions, anti-gay sentiment, death by suicide, sexual servitude, abuse, police violence, slavery, torture, and murder.