Progress and Chaos - The pendulum swings but the clock moves forward

The idea of human progress has been widely discredited since the wars and genocides of the mid-20th-century. But what if the 20th century also featured the largest (and largest percentage) of people living in peace and prosperity, eclipsed only by the 21st century so far, which is dramatically even more peaceful and prosperous? This argument is made by Steve Pinker, author of “Enlightenment Now” and leading rehabilitator of progress in the mainstream intelligentsia. His nemesis, historian Niall Ferguson (“The Square and the Tower”), thinks Pinker stands a good chance of becoming a historical joke, like author Norman Angell, who predicted in 1911 that war would soon be a thing of the past. In this episode I attempt to bring some integral thinking to a debate between Pinker and Ferguson hosted by Fareed Zakaria in his GPS Sunday show on CNN. Plus! You’ll get to swoon over Bradley Cooper in real time, just like Lady Gaga …