Claims

Factual · Their own work or organisation

“It was a follow up to my book The Better Angels of Our Nature: Why Violence Has Declined.”

Steven Pinker, author, interviewee · 13 February 2018 · Steven Pinker Interview: Life Has Become Better (Smashing Interviews)

Steven Pinker's book Enlightenment Now was a follow-up to his book The Better Angels of Our Nature: Why Violence Has Declined.

Resolved true The record shows it happened or was so.

The second judge said mostly true; the verdict shown is the first judge's.

What would count as true or false

TRUE: Enlightenment Now (2018) was published after The Better Angels of Our Nature (2011), AND the author, the publisher or the book itself presents it as a follow-up, sequel or continuation of Better Angels (e.g. extending its trends-of-progress argument). MOSTLY TRUE: it came later and plainly builds on Better Angels' themes, but is not explicitly called a follow-up. MIXED: the books overlap only loosely, and the connection is disputed. MOSTLY FALSE: the order is right, but the book is presented as unrelated to Better Angels. FALSE: the publication order is wrong, or the books have no connection.

Evidence

1. Making the case for the importance of reason - The Boston Globe The Boston Globe · 22 February 2018

   “His new book, “Enlightenment Now: The Case for Reason, Science, Humanism, and Progress,’’ somewhat less massive but still formidable, builds on the themes of that earlier one and broadens them, retaining the essential quality of optimism about human progress.”

2. Making the case for the importance of reason - The Boston Globe The Boston Globe · 22 February 2018

   “In 2011, Harvard professor of psychology Steven Pinker published “The Better Angels of Our Nature,’’ a massive book arguing that, over time, the world has become a less violent place for humans to inhabit.”

3. Harvard’s Pinker makes case for human progress in new book Harvard Gazette (Harvard University) · 27 February 2018

   “His new book, “Enlightenment Now: The Case for Reason, Science, Humanism, and Progress,” picks up on that theme, exploring how other threats to human well-being have been in similar retreat.”

4. Book Review: ‘Enlightenment Now‘ by By Steven Pinker Washington Independent Review of Books · 16 March 2019

   “He brings us Enlightenment Now as a follow-up to his controversial 2012 book, The Better Angels of Our Nature: Why Violence Has Declined.”

Reasoning

E2 dates The Better Angels of Our Nature to 2011, and E1 and E3, both from 2018, describe Enlightenment Now as Pinker's new book, so the publication order is right. E1 says Enlightenment Now builds on and broadens the earlier book's themes. E3 says it picks up on Better Angels' theme and looks at other threats in similar retreat. E4, an independent review, calls Enlightenment Now a follow-up to Better Angels; its 2012 date for Better Angels conflicts with E2, but that does not change the order. Together with Pinker's own description of the book as a follow-up, this meets the TRUE criterion.

Cite this claim

Steven Pinker, “Steven Pinker's book Enlightenment Now was a follow-up to his book The Better Angels of Our Nature: Why Violence Has Declined.” (said 13 February 2018). Verdict: resolved true. Reliability API, claim c_ccc5be173c15, method 0.1.0+28da144b. https://epistacklabs.com/claims/c_ccc5be173c15