How could anybody digesting Pinker's message come to that conclusion? His whole message is that we got here primarily because we embraced reason and science and that we can get to an even better place as long as we continue to embrace reason and science.
Right, that is the view that is being labeled almost providential. There's a quote from the book that I posted in another comment that pretty clearly exemplifies the 'almost' providential nature of Pinker's view of history:
"Though I am skittish about any notion of historical inevitability, cosmic forces or mystical arcs of justice, some kinds of social change really do seem to be carried along by an inexorable tectonic force."
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How could anybody digesting Pinker's message come to that conclusion? His whole message is that we got here primarily because we embraced reason and science and that we can get to an even better place as long as we continue to embrace reason and science.
Right, that is the view that is being labeled almost providential. There's a quote from the book that I posted in another comment that pretty clearly exemplifies the 'almost' providential nature of Pinker's view of history:
"Though I am skittish about any notion of historical inevitability, cosmic forces or mystical arcs of justice, some kinds of social change really do seem to be carried along by an inexorable tectonic force."