Enlightenment Now

  Thackeray, William Makepeace, 284

  Thailand, 259, 336, 419, 457n8

  Thatcher, Margaret, 110, 315

  theism and theistic morality, 419, 420–22, 428–30

  Argument from Design, 18, 421, 423

  and consciousness, hard problem of, 423, 425–8, 488n43

  deism vs., 8, 18, 22, 422

  and existence of God, arguments against, 421–2

  fundamental physical constants and, 423–5

  God of the Gaps argument, 423–8

  refutation of theistic morality, 428–30

  wars motivated by, 10, 429–30

  See also deism and deists; God; secularization

  theoconservatism, 448–9

  theocracy, 201, 206, 430

  theodicy, 39, 423

  Thermodynamics, Laws of, 15–16

  See also Entropy, Law of

  thick tails. See power-law distribution; rare events

  Thiel, Peter, 329

  Thomas, Dylan, 53

  Thoreau, Henry David, 268

  Three Mile Island accident (1979), 146, 148

  Time magazine, 151

  Timor-Leste, 203

  Tocqueville, Alexis de, 165, 437

  Togo, 272, 475n30

  Tolstoy, Leo, 284

  Tooby, John, 17, 359, 414, 477n20

  Torrijos, Omar, 447

  trade

  benefits of, 13, 84, 162, 198–9, 228

  Trump and international, 334–5

  Tragedy of the Belief Commons. See identity-protective cognition

  Tragedy of the Commons, 141

  for beliefs, 358, 359, 376, 379

  for carbon emissions, 141, 151, 153, 154

  transgenic crops, 77–8, 331

  transportation

  agriculture and food supply and, 75, 77, 78

  and human closeness, 257

  plane travel, 257–8, 258

  See also motor vehicles

  travel/tourism, 258–9, 259, 338

  treaties

  Kellogg-Briand (Paris Peace) pact (1928), 163–4

  New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START), 317, 318

  Non-Proliferation Treaty (1970), 316–17

  nuclear weapons atmospheric testing ban, 133–4

  ozone layer protection, 134

  Paris climate agreement, 134, 152, 335, 449

  sulfur emissions (acid rain prevention), 134

  of Westphalia, 450

  tribalism

  deontological ethics and, 417

  vs. Enlightenment ideals, 5, 10, 29, 32, 333, 334, 341, 447–51

  human nature, as part of, 26, 393, 417, 419, 450

  political, as source of irrationality, 355–63, 383

  See also identity-protective cognition; populism; racism

  Trump, Donald

  age rolloff in support for, 341–2, 342

  antidemocratic agenda of, 335–6, 337, 374, 449

  antiprogress agenda of, 334–7

  approval ratings of, 338

  attempts to repeal Obamacare, 109, 334

  dystopian vision of, xvii, 343

  failures of, 109, 337–8, 451

  on hackers, 300

  and immigration, 97, 336, 339

  institutional limits on power of, 337–8

  intellectual influences, 343, 447–50, 491n118

  Islamophobia and, 219

  lies and conspiracy theories of, 336, 358, 375, 376

  nuclear weapons and, 320

  and Paris climate agreement, 134, 152, 335, 449

  prejudice and hate crimes and, 217, 219

  and Vladimir Putin, 335, 336

  and will to power, 336

  See also populism

  —CAMPAIGN AND ELECTION AS PRESIDENT

  economic vs. cultural factors in, 339–40

  as Electoral College win, 214, 334, 340

  Evangelical Christian support, 432–3, 438

  intolerant rhetoric of, 215

  “Make American Great Again,” 5, 334, 337

  media role in, 50, 343, 376, 449

  pollster predictions for, 367

  popular vote loss of, 338

  shrinking demographic base of, 219, 341–2, 342

  voter turnout and, 343, 438

  truth

  vs. expressive performance, 359

  institutions and norms of, 27, 374, 376, 380

  Nietzsche and, 446

  as not always halfway between extremes, 365

  power of, 27, 338, 379, 383–4

  vs. rationalization, 359

  science vs. erudition as way to seek, 34, 390

  vs. Trump, 336, 376

  See also objective measurement; “post-truth era”; reason; relativism

  Tsarnaev brothers, 303, 306

  Tunisia, 203, 442

  Tupy, Marian, 52, 141

  Turkey, 201, 336, 436, 490n96

  Tuskegee syphilis study, 401

  Tutsi people, 161

  Tversky, Amos, 41, 47, 383, 404

  Twenge, Jean, 282, 283

  Two Cultures, The (Snow), 33–4, 389. See also Second Culture

  Übermensch, 443–5, 447. See also Nietzsche, Friedrich

  Uganda, 160

  Ukraine, 78, 158, 203, 313, 335

  ul Haq, Mahbub, 245

  Unabomber, 122

  Union of Concerned Scientists, 308, 312

  Unitarians, 412

  United Kingdom

  Brexit vote, 334, 340, 341–2, 342, 343

  capital punishment abolition in, 209

  carbon emissions per dollar of GDP, 143, 143

  economic freedom in, 483n39

  economic inequality in, 105–6, 106

  emancipative values in, 225–7, 226, 227

  escape from poverty and, 84–5, 85

  Falkland Islands war, 315

  GDP of, 85

  happiness ranking of, 271, 475n30

  life expectancy at birth, 58–9, 58

  literacy in, 236

  nuclear weapons and, 317, 317, 320

  Optimism Gap and, 40

  Peak Stuff, 135–6

  populism and, 334, 338–9

  secularization and, 436, 437

  social spending in, 108, 483n39

  and Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 419

  woman as leader of, 214

  women’s rights in, 222

  See also England

  United Nations

  and capital punishment, 209

  corporal punishment condemned by, 229–30

  declaration on violence against women, 222

  “extreme poverty” as defined by, 87

  gender parity in education in, 239–40

  HIV/AIDS epidemic, plan to end, 66

  homicide reduction, goal for, 468n15

  and homosexuality, decriminalization of, 223

  Human Development Index, 245, 483n42

  humanist ideals and, 411–12

  International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, 234

  Millennium Development Goals, 52, 89, 239–40, 457n31, 459–60n18

  and outlawry of war, 163

  peacekeeping forces of, 164

  Population Fund, 222

  Secretariat as “evidence-free zone,” 403

  Security Council, 163

  Sustainable Development Goals, 89, 468n15

  Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 207, 209, 411–12, 418–19

  United Nations Education, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), 162, 418

  United States

  accidental d
eaths in, 167

  calories available per person, 70, 70

  capital punishment in, 210–213, 211

  carbon emissions of, 143, 143–4, 144

  childhood stunting in, 71

  child labor force in, 230–31, 231

  Civil War, 174

  climate/Paris agreement and, 134, 152, 335, 449

  corporal punishment and, 230

  cyber-sabotage and, 304

  economic inequality in, 98, 103, 105–6, 106, 114–17, 461n4

  education in, 236–9, 237–8

  emancipative values in, 225–7, 226, 227

  and escape from poverty, 85, 85

  GDP of, 85

  happiness, underachievement of, 271–4, 283–9, 288, 292, 439, 475nn30–31, 483n42

  homicide rates in, 169, 170–71, 170–71, 172, 192, 467n11, 469n4

  malaria in, 66

  maternal mortality in, 57, 57

  nuclear power and, 146, 147–8, 149–50

  nuclear weapons of, 317–18, 318, 480nn113,117,121

  Optimism Gap and, 40

  poverty rate in, 115–17, 116

  retirement in, 250–51, 250

  Rights, Bill of, 411

  social spending in, 107–8, 108, 109

  and spending on necessities, 254–5, 254

  suicide rates in, 278–80, 279

  terrorism deaths in, 192–4, 192, 194, 469n10

  and Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 419

  and World War II, 196

  universal basic income, 119

  Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 207, 209, 411–12, 418–19

  university and college education

  access to, expansion of, 220, 237–8, 238

  critical thinking instruction, 377–9

  general education requirement, 400–401

  humanities instruction, 405–8

  political leaders influencing, 347–9, 443

  political science, leftist vs. quantitative, 405

  politicization and, 372–5

  science instruction, 34, 395–6, 400–402

  See also academia; education; humanities

  Uppsala Conflict Data Program (UCDP), 158

  urbanization

  cultural contributions, 451

  density of, as environmentally beneficial, 134

  populism as decreasing with, 343

  Urey, Harold, 308

  utilitarianism, 415–17, 415–17. See also deontological ethics; happiness

  Uzbekistan, 85, 86

  vaccines

  conspiracy theories about, 67, 334

  for Ebola, 307

  for HPV vs. hepatitis B, as politicized issue, 382

  inventors of, 63–5

  for smallpox, 65, 386

  Trump and, 334

  vacuum cleaners, 252

  values

  changes across age, period, and cohort, 224–5, 272–4, 275

  and hierarchy of needs, 124, 224

  See also emancipative values

  Vatican City, 222

  Venezuela, 91, 171, 172, 343, 467n12

  Vico, Giambattista, 10

  Vidal, Gore, 456n1

  Vietnam, 85, 86, 90, 161, 206

  Vietnam War, 50, 158, 160, 161, 193, 376

  Vikings, romantic heroism and, 33, 398, 444

  violence

  against children, 229–30, 229, 232

  decline of, objections to data showing, 44–7

  evolution and, 25

  vs. nonviolent resistance, success rates of, 405

  pacifist’s dilemma of refraining from, 166, 414, 488n10

  perceived as moral, 26

  Romanticism’s embrace of, 30

  social contracts against harms, 27–8

  will to power and (Nietzsche), 33, 444, 445

  See also genocide; terrorism and terrorists; violent crime; war; women: violence against

  violent crime, 168–76

  1960s boom, 169–70, 173–4

  cognitive behavioral therapy and, 175

  contraband and, 175

  decline reducing support for death penalty, 212

  decline since 1992, 170–71

  decline with imposition of law, 168–9, 170

  drugs and, 175–6

  evidence-based approach to reducing, 176

  focused deterrence and, 174

  Great Depression of 1930s and decline in, 170

  Hobbesian trap and, 173

  homicide rates as reliable indicator of, 169

  law enforcement as reducing, 168, 173–4, 176

  legitimacy of authority and, 174

  number of deaths due to, 167

  opportunity reduction, 175

  reductions via Compstat program, 380

  rule of law and reductions in, 43, 168–70, 174

  See also criminal punishment; hate crimes; homicide; rampage shootings; terrorism

  volcanoes and supervolcanoes, 152, 187–8, 295

  Voltaire, 13, 39, 84, 162, 223

  von Mises, Ludwig, 13

  Wagner, Richard, 398

  Wagner’s Law, 109–110

  Wallace, Alfred Russel, 18

  Wallis, John, 83

  Wall Street Journal, 333, 362

  Walmart, 117

  war

  atheism and, 429–30

  battle deaths (1946–2016), 159–60, 159

  chemical weapons, 459n18, 479n95

  commerce/trade as reducing, 162

  deaths, vs. terrorism, homicide, accidents, 192

  decline of, between great powers, 157–8, 157

  decline of, between nation-states, 158, 164

  decline of civil wars, 164

  definition of, 466n6

  democracy as reducing, 162–3

  economic equality generated by, 106–7

  famine and, 78

  illegality of, 163–4

  as inevitable vs. a solvable problem, 166

  international norm against, 163

  mistakes and rumors as cause of, 376, 484n77

  preparation for, as decreasing, 162, 467n18

  refugees/displaced persons, 160, 338, 466n12

  religious wars, generally, 10, 429–30

  romantic militarism, 165–6

  state-based cyber-sabotage as, 304

  terrorism as largely a phenomenon of, 193

  See also civil wars; Cold War; genocide; Long Peace; nuclear war; peace; weapons; specific wars

  washing machine, 251–2, 252

  Washington, George, 13

  water

  chlorination of, 63, 64

  desalination of, 129, 149

  flooding and contamination of, 188

  nanofiltration of, 331

  running water in home, 251, 252

  sewage, protection from, 63

  See also waterways

  Watergate, 50

  waterways

  environmental protection of, 140

  improvements in cleanliness of, 130

  removal of dams from, 149

  See also oceans

  Watson, James, 386

  Watson, Paul, 122

  Way, Lucan, 206

  wealth, 79–96

  as created, 25, 79, 80

  history as written by the affluent, 79

  “lump fallacy”/“physical fallacy,” 80, 99

  and specialization, 12–13

  Trump and, 334–5

  See also developed countries/world; Gross World Product; poverty

  weapons

  banning of, 316, 479n95

  bioweapons, 410


  chemical weapons, 459n18, 479n95

  voluntary nondevelopment of, 314, 316

  voluntary scrapping of, 315–16, 317–19

  See also nuclear weapons; war

  Webb, Sidney and Beatrice, 400, 447

  Weber, Max, 85

  Weingast, Barry, 83

  Weisskopf, Victor, 308

  Weizenbaum, Joseph, 309

  Well-Being Composite, 245–6, 246, 473n45

  well-being, subjective, 262–89

  distinguished from objective well-being, freedom, happiness, meaningfulness, 264–8

  eudaemonia (“good spirit”), 267

  freedom/autonomy and, 265–6

  secularization and, 438–9, 490n87

  self-evaluations of, 266–7

  social spending and, 108, 110, 365, 483nn39,42

  See also happiness; meaningful life; quality of life; social support vs. isolation; suicide

  Wells, H. G., 400, 447

  Welzel, Christian, 124, 224, 226–7, 228, 440

  West, Cornel, 39–40

  Western Europe

  and democracies, rise of, 200–201

  economic freedom compatible with taxation, social spending, and regulation, 365, 483nn39,42

  education in, 236–7, 237

  emancipative values in, 225–7, 226, 227

  homicide rates in, 192–3, 192, 469n4

  and Long Peace, 158

  per capita income of, 86

  secularization and, 436, 489n68

  suicide rates in, 278–80, 279

  terrorist deaths in, 192–3, 192, 194

  vacation time in, 251

  vehicle accident deaths in, 192–3, 192, 469n4

  work hours in, 249–50, 249

  Whitehead, Alfred North, 1

  White, Matthew, 199, 429, 484n77

  whites, anti-white hate crimes, 219, 220

  white supremacy, Trump administration and, 336

  Wieseltier, Leon, 390, 391, 408–9

  Wilde, Oscar, 82

  wilderness preserves. See conservation areas

  Wilkinson, Richard, 100, 101

  Williams, Bernard, 482n4

  Wills, Garry, 456n1

  will to power, 33, 296, 336, 444, 445

  Wilson, E. O., 390

  Wilson, Ward, 316

  Wilson, Woodrow, 400

  Winfrey, Oprah, 386, 434

  Winship, Christopher, 174, 175–6

  wisdom, as balancing conflicting desires, 414

  Wodehouse, P. G., 446

  Wolfers, Justin, 269, 270

  Wolf, Martin, 459n16

  Wolman, Abel, 64

  women

  anxiety and, 285

  education of girls and, 235, 239–40, 239, 473n27

  happiness and, 272

  household labor, liberation from, 251–2, 252

  industrialization and labor of, 93–4

  and social media, 276–7

  See also sex differences; sexism