134: Science drives moral progress (Michael Shermer)

May 17, 2015

Common wisdom holds that the world is getting more violent, but is that really true? Leading skeptic Michael Shermer, professor and author of many books on science, morality and skepticism, argues to the contrary. Shermer’s thesis in his recent book, “The Moral Arc: How Science Leads Humanity Toward Truth, Justice, and Freedom,” is that as science has advanced our understanding of the world, we have become more willing to expand our circle of empathy beyond our own provincial “tribes,” and more able to design our societies to encourage human flourishing.

Transcript (PDF)