TED2007
Steven Pinker: The surprising decline in violence
Steven Pinker despre mitul violentei
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Steven Pinker traseaza declinul violentei din vremurile biblice pana in prezent si sustine ca, desi ar putea parea ilogic sau obscen avand in vedere evenimetele din Irak si Darfur, traim in cele mai pasnice vremuri din existenta speciei noastre.
Steven Pinker - Psychologist
Steven Pinker is a professor of cognitive science (the study of the human mind) who writes about language, mind and human nature. Full bio
Steven Pinker is a professor of cognitive science (the study of the human mind) who writes about language, mind and human nature. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
00:25
Images like this, from the Auschwitz concentration camp,
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Imagini ca aceasta, din lagarul de la Auschwitz
00:29
have been seared into our consciousness during the twentieth century
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ni s-au imprimat in constiinta de-a lungul secolului 20
00:34
and have given us a new understanding of who we are,
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si ne-au dat o noua intelegere cu privire la cine suntem
00:39
where we've come from and the times we live in.
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de unde venim si timpurile in care traim.
00:42
During the twentieth century, we witnessed the atrocities
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Pe parcursul secolului 20 am fost martori la atrocitatile
00:46
of Stalin, Hitler, Mao, Pol Pot, Rwanda and other genocides,
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lui Stalin, Hitler, Mao, Pol Pot, Rwanda si alte genociduri
00:51
and even though the twenty-first century is only seven years old,
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si chiar daca secolul 21 are doar sapte ani
00:55
we have already witnessed an ongoing genocide in Darfur
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suntem deja martorii unui genocid in plina desfasurare in Darfur
00:59
and the daily horrors of Iraq.
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si a ororilor zilnice din Irak.
01:02
This has led to a common understanding of our situation,
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Aceste lucruri au condus la o intelegere comuna a situatiei noastre
01:05
namely that modernity has brought us terrible violence, and perhaps
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mai exact: ca epoca moderna ne-a dat o violenta ingrozitoare si ca probabil
01:09
that native peoples lived in a state of harmony that we have departed from, to our peril.
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popoarele indigene traiau intr-o stare de armonie de care noi ne-am indepartat spre primejdia noastra.
01:12
Here is an example
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Iata un exemplu
01:17
from an op-ed on Thanksgiving, in the Boston Globe
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dintr-un editorial de Ziua Recunostiintei din Boston Globe
01:20
a couple of years ago, where the writer wrote, "The Indian life
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de acum cativa ani, in care autorul scria, "Viata indienilor
01:24
was a difficult one, but there were no employment problems,
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era una grea, dar nu existau probleme de somaj
01:27
community harmony was strong, substance abuse unknown,
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armonia comunitatii era puternica, abuzul de substante era necunoscut,
01:30
crime nearly non-existent, what warfare there was between tribes
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criminalitatea era aproape inexistenta, razboaiele care existau intre triburi
01:34
was largely ritualistic and seldom resulted in indiscriminate
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erau in mare parte rituale si arareori rezultau in macel
01:37
or wholesale slaughter." Now, you're all familiar with this treacle.
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haotic sau exhaustiv." Acum, cunoasteti cu totii acest "sirop"
01:42
We teach it to our children. We hear it on television
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Il predam copiilor nostri; il auzim la televizor
01:45
and in storybooks. Now, the original title of this session
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si in cartile de basme. Titlul initial al acestei sesiuni
01:50
was, "Everything You Know Is Wrong," and I'm going to present evidence
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era "Tot Ceea Ce Stiti Este Gresit" si voi prezenta dovezi
01:53
that this particular part of our common understanding is wrong,
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ca, in particular, aceasta parte a intelegerii noastre comune este gresita:
01:56
that, in fact, our ancestors were far more violent than we are,
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ca, de fapt, stramosii nostri erau mult mai violenti decat suntem noi,
02:00
that violence has been in decline for long stretches of time,
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ca violenta este in scadere pe perioade lungi de timp
02:04
and that today we are probably living in the most peaceful time in our species' existence.
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si ca astazi traim, probabil, in cele mai pasnice vremuri din existenta speciei noastre.
02:07
Now, in the decade of Darfur and Iraq,
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Bineinteles, in decada unui Darfur si a unui Irak,
02:12
a statement like that might seem somewhere between hallucinatory
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o astfel de afirmatie poate parea ca fiind undeva intre halucinanta
02:15
and obscene. But I'm going to try to convince you
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si obscena. Dar voi incerca sa va conving
02:18
that that is the correct picture. The decline of violence
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ca aceasta este imaginea adevarata. Declinul violentei
02:24
is a fractal phenomenon. You can see it over millennia,
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este un fenomen consecvent. Se poate vizualiza la nivelul mileniilor
02:27
over centuries, over decades and over years,
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la nivelul secolelor, la nivelul decadelor si al anilor,
02:31
although there seems to have been a tipping point at the onset
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desi pare sa fi existat un moment declansator la inceputul
02:33
of the Age of Reason in the sixteenth century. One sees it
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Epocii Ratiunii, in secolul al 16-lea. Se poate vedea
02:37
all over the world, although not homogeneously.
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peste tot in lume, desi nu in mod omogen.
02:41
It's especially evident in the West, beginning with England
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Este mult mai evident in Vest, incepand cu Anglia
02:44
and Holland around the time of the Enlightenment.
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si Olanda in vremea Iluminismului.
02:47
Let me take you on a journey of several powers of 10 --
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Permiteti-mi sa va conduc intr-o calatorie de ordin exponential
02:51
from the millennium scale to the year scale --
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de la o scara milenara la o scara anuala --
02:53
to try to persuade you of this. Until 10,000 years ago, all humans
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ca sa va conving de acest fapt. Pana acum 10.000 ani, toate fiintele umane
02:57
lived as hunter-gatherers, without permanent settlements
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traiau ca vanatori-culegatori, fara asezari permanente
03:00
or government. And this is the state that's commonly thought
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sau forme de guvernamant. Si aceasta este starea despre care, in mod obisnuit,
03:03
to be one of primordial harmony. But the archaeologist
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se spune ca este una a armoniei primordiale. Dar arheologul
03:09
Lawrence Keeley, looking at casualty rates
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Lawrence Keeley, studiind procentajele de vatamare
03:13
among contemporary hunter-gatherers, which is our best source
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la vanatorii-culegatori contemporani -- care constituie cea mai buna sursa
03:17
of evidence about this way of life, has shown a rather different conclusion.
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de informatii asupra acestui mod de viata -- a ajuns la o concluzie pronuntat diferita.
03:23
Here is a graph that he put together
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Iata un grafic facut de el,
03:25
showing the percentage of male deaths due to warfare
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care arata procentajul mortilor masculine datorate razboiului
03:28
in a number of foraging, or hunting and gathering societies.
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in cadrul mai multor societati nomade sau de vanatori-culegatori.
03:33
The red bars correspond to the likelihood that a man will die
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Barele rosii corespund probabilitatii unui barbat de a fi omorat
03:39
at the hands of another man, as opposed to passing away
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de un alt barbat, spre deosebire de a muri
03:42
of natural causes, in a variety of foraging societies
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din cauze naturale, in diverse societati nomade
03:46
in the New Guinea Highlands and the Amazon Rainforest.
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din podisurile Noii Guinee si padurea tropicala Amazoniana.
03:50
And they range from a rate of almost a 60 percent chance that a man will die
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Si variaza de la o probabilitate de aproape 60 la suta ca un om sa fie omorat
03:53
at the hands of another man to, in the case of the Gebusi,
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de un alt om la, in cazul poporului Gebusi,
03:57
only a 15 percent chance. The tiny, little blue bar in the lower
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o probabilitate de doar 15 la suta. Micuta bara albastra in coltul din
04:01
left-hand corner plots the corresponding statistic from United States
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stanga jos indica statisticile corespunzatoare din Statele Unite
04:05
and Europe in the twentieth century, and includes all the deaths
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si Europa in secolul 20, si include toate pierderile
04:09
of both World Wars. If the death rate in tribal warfare had prevailed
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din ambele Razboaie Mondiale. Daca rata mortalitatii din razboaiele tribale ar fi ramas constanta
04:14
during the 20th century, there would have been two billion deaths rather than 100 million.
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pe parcursul secolului 20, am fi avut de-a face cu doua miliarde de morti spre deosebire de 100 milioane.
04:20
Also at the millennium scale, we can look
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Tot la nivel milenar, putem privi la
04:23
at the way of life of early civilizations such as the ones described
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modul de viata al primelor civilizatii precum sunt cele descrise
04:28
in the Bible. And in this supposed source of our moral values,
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in Biblie. Si in aceasta presupusa sursa a valorilor noastre morale
04:33
one can read descriptions of what was expected in warfare,
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se pot citi descrieri ale asteptarilor cu privire la razboi,
04:37
such as the following from Numbers 31: "And they warred
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cum este aceasta din Numeri 31: "Si s-au razboit
04:40
against the Midianites as the Lord commanded Moses,
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cu Midianitii precum Domnul i-a poruncit lui Moise,
04:43
and they slew all the males. And Moses said unto them,
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si au ucis toti barbatii. Si Moise grait-a catre ei
04:46
'Have you saved all the women alive? Now, therefore, kill every male
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'Ati pastrat toate femeile in viata? Acum, asadar, omorati toti baietii
04:50
among the little ones and kill every woman that hath known man
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dintre cei mici si omorati orice femeie a cunoscut barbat
04:53
by lying with him, but all the women children that have not know a man
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culcandu-se langa el, dar toate fetele care nu au cunoscut barbat
04:57
by lying with him keep alive for yourselves.'" In other words,
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culcandu-se langa el, pastrati-le in viata pentru voi.'" Cu alte cuvinte,
05:00
kill the men; kill the children; if you see any virgins,
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omorati barbatii, omorati copiii si daca gasiti virgine
05:05
then you can keep them alive so that you can rape them.
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puteti sa le lasati in viata ca sa le puteti viola.
05:08
You can find four or five passages in the Bible of this ilk.
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Puteti gasi patru sau cinci pasaje de natura asta in Biblie.
05:12
Also in the Bible, one sees that the death penalty
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De asemenea, tot in Biblie se poate citi ca moartea
05:15
was the accepted punishment for crimes such as homosexuality,
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era pedeapsa acceptata pentru crime precum homosexualitatea,
05:20
adultery, blasphemy, idolatry, talking back to your parents --
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adulterul, blasfemia, idolatria, raspunsul obraznic parintilor --
05:24
(Laughter) -- and picking up sticks on the Sabbath.
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(Rasete) -- si ridicatul betelor de Sabat.
05:28
Well, let's click the zoom lens
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Ei bine, sa ne apropiem
05:31
down one order of magnitude, and look at the century scale.
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si mai mult si sa privim la nivelul secolelor.
05:34
Although we don't have statistics for warfare throughout
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Desi nu avem statistici pentru razboaiele purtate de-a lungul
05:39
the Middle Ages to modern times,
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Evului Mediu pana in epoca moderna
05:40
we know just from conventional history -- the evidence
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stim doar din istoria conventionala -- dovezile
05:43
was under our nose all along that there has been a reduction
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au fost in fata ochilor nostri tot acest timp cum ca exista o scadere
05:47
in socially sanctioned forms of violence.
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a formelor de violenta acceptate social.
05:50
For example, any social history will reveal that mutilation and torture
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Spre exemplu, orice istorie sociala va arata ca mutilarea si tortura
05:54
were routine forms of criminal punishment. The kind of infraction
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erau forme obisnuite de pedeapsa a criminalilor. Genul de infractiune
05:57
today that would give you a fine, in those days would result in
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care astazi ar rezulta intr-o amenda, in acele vremuri ar fi rezultat in
06:01
your tongue being cut out, your ears being cut off, you being blinded,
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retezarea limbii, taierea urechilor, scoaterea ochilor,
06:05
a hand being chopped off and so on.
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retezarea unei maini si asa mai departe.
06:07
There were numerous ingenious forms of sadistic capital punishment:
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Existau numeroase forme ingenioase de pedeapsa capitala sadica:
06:12
burning at the stake, disemboweling, breaking on the wheel,
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arderea pe rug, spintecarea si scoaterea intestinelor, trasul pe roata,
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being pulled apart by horses and so on.
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dezmembratul cu ajutorul cailor si asa mai departe.
06:18
The death penalty was a sanction for a long list of non-violent crimes:
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Pedeapsa cu moartea era sanctiunea pentru o lista intreaga de infractiuni non-violente:
06:22
criticizing the king, stealing a loaf of bread. Slavery, of course,
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criticarea regelui, furatul unei bucati de paine. Sclavia, bineinteles,
06:27
was the preferred labor-saving device, and cruelty was
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era metoda preferata de a eficientiza munca, iar cruzimea era
06:31
a popular form of entertainment. Perhaps the most vivid example
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o forma de spectacol foarte raspandita. Poate cel mai clar exemplu
06:34
was the practice of cat burning, in which a cat was hoisted
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este cel al practicii de a arde pisici, in cadrul careia o pisica era ridicata
06:37
on a stage and lowered in a sling into a fire,
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pe o scena si coborata, intr-un harnasament, in flacari
06:40
and the spectators shrieked in laughter as the cat, howling in pain,
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iar spectatorii hohoteau de ras in timp ce pisica, urland de durere,
06:46
was burned to death.
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era arsa de vie.
06:48
What about one-on-one murder? Well, there, there are good statistics,
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Ce se intampla in cazul uciderilor individuale? Ei bine, aici avem statistici bune
06:51
because many municipalities recorded the cause of death.
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deoarece multe municipalitati inregistrau cauza mortilor.
06:57
The criminologist Manuel Eisner
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Criminologul Manuel Eisner
07:02
scoured all of the historical records across Europe
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a cercetat in profunzime toate evidentele istorice din Europa
07:04
for homicide rates in any village, hamlet, town, county
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cu privire la numarul omuciderilor in orice sat, catun, oras, comitat
07:09
that he could find, and he supplemented them
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pe care le-a putut gasi si le-a suplimentat
07:11
with national data, when nations started keeping statistics.
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cu date la nivel national cand tarile au inceput sa faca statistici.
07:15
He plotted on a logarithmic scale, going from 100 deaths
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Le-a aranjat pe o scara logaritmica, pornind de la 100 morti
07:22
per 100,000 people per year, which was approximately the rate
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la 100.000 oameni pe an, care era, cu aproximatie, rata
07:28
of homicide in the Middle Ages. And the figure plummets down
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omuciderilor in Evul Mediu. Iar cifra scade vertiginos
07:33
to less than one homicide per 100,000 people per year
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la mai putin de o omucidere la 100.000 oameni pe an
07:38
in seven or eight European countries. Then, there is a slight uptick
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in sapte sau opt tari europene. Apoi exista o mica crestere
07:42
in the 1960s. The people who said that rock 'n' roll would lead
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in anii '60. Cei care au spus ca rock and roll-ul va duce
07:46
to the decline of moral values actually had a grain of truth to that.
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la declinul valorilor morale aveau, in fapt, un sambure de adevar in asta.
07:50
But there was a decline from at least two orders of magnitude
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Dar exista o descrestere de cel putin doua ordine de magnitudine
07:54
in homicide from the Middle Ages to the present,
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in omucidere din Evul Mediu in prezent
07:57
and the elbow occurred in the early sixteenth century.
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si aceast curba este plasata la inceputul secolului 16.
08:02
Let's click down now to the decade scale.
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Sa mergem la nivelul decadelor.
08:04
According to non-governmental organizations
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Potrivit organizatiilor non-guvernamentale
08:07
that keep such statistics, since 1945, in Europe and the Americas,
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care fac astfel de statistici, incepand din 1945 in Europa si in Americi
08:11
there has been a steep decline in interstate wars,
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a existat o descreste vizibila a razboaielor interstatale
08:15
in deadly ethnic riots or pogroms, and in military coups,
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a rascoalelor etnice sangeroase sau pogromuri si a loviturilor de stat militare,
08:19
even in South America. Worldwide, there's been a steep decline
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chiar si in America de Sud. La nivel mondial, a exista o descrestere vizibila
08:23
in deaths in interstate wars. The yellow bars here show the number
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a numarului de morti in razboaie interstatale. Barele galbene de aici indica numarul
08:29
of deaths per war per year from 1950 to the present.
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mortilor pe razboi pe an din 1950 pana in prezent.
08:34
And, as you can see, the death rate goes down from 65,000 deaths
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Si, dupa cum puteti vedea, rata mortalitatii scade de la 65.000 morti
08:38
per conflict per year in the 1950s to less than 2,000 deaths
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pe conflict pe an in anii '50 la mai putin de 2000 morti
08:42
per conflict per year in this decade, as horrific as it is.
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pe conflict pe an in aceasta decada, asa ingrozitoare cum este.
08:46
Even in the year scale, one can see a decline of violence.
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Chiar si la nivel anual, se poate observa declinul violentei.
08:50
Since the end of the Cold War, there have been fewer civil wars,
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De la sfarsitul Razboiului Rece au existat mai putine razboaie civile,
08:53
fewer genocides -- indeed, a 90 percent reduction since post-World War II highs --
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mai putine genociduri -- intr-adevar, o descrestere de 90 la suta de la valorile mari inregistrate in urma celui de-al 2-lea Razboi Mondial --
08:59
and even a reversal of the 1960s uptick in homicide and violent crime.
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si chiar o rasturnare a cresterii in omucideri si crime violente din anii '60.
09:05
This is from the FBI Uniform Crime Statistics. You can see
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Asta este din Statistica Uniformizata a Crimei de la FBI: puteti observa
09:09
that there is a fairly low rate of violence in the '50s and the '60s,
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ca in anii '50 si '60 exista un nivel relativ mic al violentei
09:13
then it soared upward for several decades, and began
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apoi s-a inaltat pret de cateva decade si a inceput
09:17
a precipitous decline, starting in the 1990s, so that it went back
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o descrestere abrupta, incepand cu anii '90, asa ca s-a intors
09:21
to the level that was last enjoyed in 1960.
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la aproape acelasi nivel de care ne bucuram in anii '60.
09:25
President Clinton, if you're here, thank you.
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Domnule Presedinte Clinton, daca sunteti aici, va multumesc.
09:27
(Laughter)
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(Rasete)
09:29
So the question is, why are so many people so wrong
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Asadar intrebarea este: de ce atati oameni gresesc atat de mult
09:32
about something so important? I think there are a number of reasons.
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cu privire la ceva atat de important? Eu cred ca exista mai multe motive.
09:36
One of them is we have better reporting. The Associated Press
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Unul dintre ele este ca avem o documentare mai buna: "Associated Press"
09:39
is a better chronicler of wars over the surface of the Earth
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este un cronicar mai bun al razboaielor de pe suprafata Pamantului
09:43
than sixteenth-century monks were.
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decat erau calugarii secolului 16."
09:47
There's a cognitive illusion. We cognitive psychologists know that the easier it is
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Exista o iluzie cognitiva: noi - specialistii in psihologia cognitiva stiu ca cu cat este mai usor
09:52
to recall specific instances of something,
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sa iti aduci aminte instante specifice a ceva anume,
09:55
the higher the probability that you assign to it.
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cu atat mai mare este probabilitatea pe care o atribui acestora.
09:58
Things that we read about in the paper with gory footage
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Lucruri despre care citim in ziare cu imagini sangeroase
10:02
burn into memory more than reports of a lot more people dying
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ni se adancesc in memorie mai tare decat articole despre si mai multi oameni murind
10:06
in their beds of old age. There are dynamics in the opinion
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in paturile lor, de batranete. Exista o dinamica pe piata
10:12
and advocacy markets: no one ever attracted observers, advocates
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de opinii si sustinere: nimeni nu a atras vreodata observatori, sustinatori
10:17
and donors by saying
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si donatori spunand ca
10:19
things just seem to be getting better and better.
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"lucrurile par sa mearga din ce in ce mai bine."
10:21
(Laughter)
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(Rasete)
10:22
There's guilt about our treatment of native peoples
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Exista o vinovatie in legatura cu tratamentul aplicat popoarelor indigene
10:25
in modern intellectual life, and an unwillingness to acknowledge
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in viata intelectuala moderna si o reticenta in a recunoaste
10:28
there could be anything good about Western culture.
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ca ar putea exista ceva buna la cultura Occidentala.
10:31
And of course, our change in standards can outpace the change
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Si bineinteles, schimbarea standardelor noastre poate depasi schimbarea
10:36
in behavior. One of the reasons violence went down
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in comportament. Unul din motivele pentru care violenta a scazut
10:39
is that people got sick of the carnage and cruelty in their time.
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este ca oamenii s-au saturat de macelurile si cruzimea din viata lor.
10:42
That's a process that seems to be continuing,
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Acesta este un proces care pare sa continue,
10:45
but if it outstrips behavior by the standards of the day,
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dar daca depaseste comportamentul conform standardelor vremurilor
10:49
things always look more barbaric than they would have been
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lucrurile intotdeauna par mai barbare decat ar fi fost
10:52
by historic standards. So today, we get exercised -- and rightly so --
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conform standardelor istorice. Asa ca astazi ne revoltam - si pe buna dreptate -
10:56
if a handful of murderers get executed by lethal injection
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daca niste ucigasi sunt executati cu injectie letala
11:02
in Texas after a 15-year appeal process. We don't consider
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in Texas dupa un intreg proces de recursuri care a durat 15 ani. Nu luam in calcul
11:07
that a couple of hundred years ago, they may have been burned
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ca acum cateva sute de ani ar fi fost arsi
11:10
at the stake for criticizing the king after a trial
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pe rug pentru criticarea regelui in urma unui proces
11:13
that lasted 10 minutes, and indeed, that that would have been repeated
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care ar fi durat 10 minute -- si intr-adevar, asta s-ar fi repetat
11:16
over and over again. Today, we look at capital punishment
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la nesfarsit. Astazi privim pedeapsa capitala
11:21
as evidence of how low our behavior can sink,
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ca o dovada a nivelului la care ne putem cobori
11:24
rather than how high our standards have risen.
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mai degraba decat a masurii in care au crescut standardele noastre.
11:28
Well, why has violence declined? No one really knows,
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Asadar, de ce a scazut violenta? Nimeni nu stie cu adevarat,
11:31
but I have read four explanations, all of which, I think,
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dar am citit patru explicatii, toate avand, cred eu,
11:36
have some grain of plausibility. The first is, maybe
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un grad de plauzibilitate. Prima este: poate
11:39
Thomas Hobbes got it right. He was the one who said
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ca Thomas Hobbes a avut dreptate. El a fost cel care a spus
11:42
that life in a state of nature was "solitary, poor, nasty, brutish
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ca viata intr-un mediu natural era "singuratica, saraca, plina de rautati, brutala
11:47
and short." Not because, he argued,
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si scurta." Nu pentru ca, spunea el,
11:51
humans have some primordial thirst for blood
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oamenii au vreun fel de sete de sange inerenta
11:54
or aggressive instinct or territorial imperative,
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sau instinct agresiv sau vreun imperativ teritorial
11:58
but because of the logic of anarchy. In a state of anarchy,
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ci datorita logicii anarhiei. Intr-o stare de anarhie
12:01
there's a constant temptation to invade your neighbors preemptively,
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exista o tentatie constanta de a iti invada vecinii anticipat,
12:05
before they invade you. More recently, Thomas Schelling
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inainte sa te invadeze ei pe tine. Mai recent Thomas Schelling
12:08
gives the analogy of a homeowner who hears a rustling
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propune analogia unui gospodar care aude un zgomot
12:11
in the basement. Being a good American, he has a pistol
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in pivnita. Fiind un bun american, are un pistol
12:13
in the nightstand, pulls out his gun, and walks down the stairs.
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in noptiera, scoate pistolul si coboara scarile.
12:17
And what does he see but a burglar with a gun in his hand.
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Si ce vede daca nu un hot cu un pistol in mana.
12:20
Now, each one of them is thinking,
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Fiecare din ei se gandeste
12:21
"I don't really want to kill that guy, but he's about to kill me.
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"Nu prea vreau sa il omor pe tipul asta, dar el este pe cale de a ma omori pe mine."
12:25
Maybe I had better shoot him, before he shoots me,
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Poate ar fi mai bine sa il impusc eu pana nu ma impusca el,
12:29
especially since, even if he doesn't want to kill me,
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mai ales din moment ce, chiar daca nu vrea sa ma omoare,
12:31
he's probably worrying right now that I might kill him
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se ingrijoreaza chiar acum ca eu as putea sa il omor
12:34
before he kills me." And so on.
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inainte sa ma omoare el pe mine." Si asa mai departe.
12:37
Hunter-gatherer peoples explicitly go through this train of thought,
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Popoarele de vanatori-culegatori, spre exemplu, trec prin acest proces de gandire
12:42
and will often raid their neighbors out of fear of being raided first.
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si foarte des isi vor ataca vecinii de teama sa nu fie atacati ei intai.
12:47
Now, one way of dealing with this problem is by deterrence.
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Un mod de a gestiona aceasta problema este prin descurajare:
12:50
You don't strike first, but you have a publicly announced policy
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nu ataci primul, dar ai o politica anuntata public
12:55
that you will retaliate savagely if you are invaded.
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ca vei riposta in mod salbatic daca esti invadat.
12:58
The only thing is that it's
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Singura problema este ca aceasta politica
13:00
liable to having its bluff called, and therefore can only work
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are sansa de a i se forta mana, asadar poate functiona doar
13:05
if it's credible. To make it credible, you must avenge all insults
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daca este credibila. Pentru a o face credibila trebuie sa razbuni toate insultele
13:10
and settle all scores, which leads to the cycles of bloody vendetta.
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si linistesti toate galcevele, ceea ce duce la cicluri de razbunari sangeroase.
13:14
Life becomes an episode of "The Sopranos." Hobbes' solution,
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Viata devine un episod din Clanul Soprano. Solutia lui Hobbes,
13:19
the "Leviathan," was that if authority for the legitimate use
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Leviatan-ul, era ca daca autoritatea uzului legitim
13:23
of violence was vested in a single democratic agency -- a leviathan --
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al violentei era investita intr-o singura entitate democratica -- un leviatan --
13:29
then such a state can reduce the temptation of attack,
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atunci un astfel de stat poate reduce tentatia unui atac,
13:32
because any kind of aggression will be punished,
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deoarece orice forma de agresiune va fi pedepsita,
13:35
leaving its profitability as zero. That would remove the temptation
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profitabilitatea ei devenind zero. Asta ar reduce tentatia
13:40
to invade preemptively, out of fear of them attacking you first.
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de a invada anticipat de teama sa nu fii atacat tu primul.
13:44
It removes the need for a hair trigger for retaliation
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Si desfiinteaza nevoia unui declansator sensibil al ripostei
13:48
to make your deterrent threat credible. And therefore, it would lead
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care sa faca amenintarea ta credibila. Asadar, ar duce la
13:51
to a state of peace. Eisner -- the man who plotted the homicide rates
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o stare de pace. Eisner -- cel care a studiat ratele de omucidere
13:57
that you failed to see in the earlier slide --
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pe care nu le-ati putut vedea pe plansa anterioara --
14:00
argued that the timing of the decline of homicide in Europe
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sustinea ca declinul omuciderilor in Europa
14:04
coincided with the rise of centralized states.
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coincide cu emergenta statelor centralizate.
14:08
So that's a bit of a support for the leviathan theory.
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Acesta este un mic sprijin pentru teoria leviatanului.
14:11
Also supporting it is the fact that we today see eruptions of violence
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De asemenea, sprijinind-o este faptul ca astazi observam aparitia violentei
14:15
in zones of anarchy, in failed states, collapsed empires,
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in zone de anarhie: state esuate, imperii prabusite,
14:19
frontier regions, mafias, street gangs and so on.
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regiuni de frontiera, mafii, gasti de strada si asa mai departe.
14:25
The second explanation is that in many times and places,
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A doua explicatie este ca in multe locuri si vremuri
14:28
there is a widespread sentiment that life is cheap.
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apare un sentiment raspandit ca viata este ieftina.
14:32
In earlier times, when suffering and early death were common
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In alte vremuri, cand suferinta si moartea timpurie erau ceva obisnuit
14:36
in one's own life, one has fewer compunctions about inflicting them
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in viata cuiva, existau putine remuscari in a provoca acestea
14:40
on others. And as technology and economic efficiency make life
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asupra altora. Si de vreme ce tehnologia si eficienta economica fac viata
14:44
longer and more pleasant, one puts a higher value on life in general.
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mai lunga si mai placuta, se pune pret mai mare pe viata in general.
14:48
This was an argument from the political scientist James Payne.
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Acesta a fost o explicatie din partea politologului James Payne.
14:52
A third explanation invokes the concept of a nonzero-sum game,
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O a treia explicatie invoca conceptul unui "joc cu suma pozitiva,"
14:56
and was worked out in the book "Nonzero" by the journalist
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si este explicata in cartea Non-Zero a jurnalistului
15:00
Robert Wright. Wright points out that in certain circumstances,
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Robert Wright. Wright arata ca in anumite circumstante
15:04
cooperation or non-violence can benefit both parties
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cooperarea, inclusiv non-violenta, poate aduce beneficii ambelor parti
15:07
in an interaction, such as gains in trade when two parties trade
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in cadrul unei interactiuni, cum ar fi castiguri din comert cand cele doua parti fac negot
15:13
their surpluses and both come out ahead, or when two parties
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cu surplusurile lor si amandoua ies in castig, sau cand doua parti
15:17
lay down their arms and split the so-called peace dividend
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renunta la arme si isi impart asa-zisul dividend al pacii
15:20
that results in them not having to fight the whole time.
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care rezulta din a nu mai fi nevoiti sa se lupte tot timpul.
15:24
Wright argues that technology has increased the number
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Wright sustine ca tehnologia a crescut numarul
15:26
of positive-sum games that humans tend to be embroiled in,
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jocurilor cu suma pozitiva in care oamenii au tendinta sa se implice
15:31
by allowing the trade of goods, services and ideas
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permitand comertul cu bunuri, servicii si idei
15:34
over longer distances and among larger groups of people.
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la distante mai mari si intre grupuri mai mari de oameni.
15:38
The result is that other people become more valuable alive than dead,
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Rezultatul este ca alti oameni devin mai valorosi vii decat morti,
15:41
and violence declines for selfish reasons. As Wright put it,
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si violenta descreste din motive egoiste. Dupa cum spune Wright,
15:47
"Among the many reasons that I think that we should not bomb
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"Printre multele motive pentru care cred ca nu ar trebui sa ii bombardam
15:49
the Japanese is that they built my mini-van."
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pe japonezi este si cel ca ei mi-au construit masina."
15:52
(Laughter)
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(Rasete)
15:54
The fourth explanation is captured in the title of a book
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A patra explicatie este surprinsa in titlul unei carti
15:58
called "The Expanding Circle," by the philosopher Peter Singer,
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numite Cercul Se Extinde, a filozofului Peter Singer,
16:02
who argues that evolution bequeathed humans with a sense
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care sustine ca evolutia le-a lasat oamenilor o intelegere
16:05
of empathy, an ability to treat other peoples' interests
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empatica: o abilitate de a trata interesele altor oameni
16:10
as comparable to one's own. Unfortunately, by default
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comparabil cu cele proprii. Din pacate, prin definitie
16:14
we apply it only to a very narrow circle of friends and family.
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o aplicam doar unui cerc restrans de prieteni si familie.
16:18
People outside that circle are treated as sub-human,
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Oamenii din afara acelui cerc sunt tratati ca sub-umani,
16:21
and can be exploited with impunity. But, over history,
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si pot fi exploatati fara scrupule. Dar de-a lungul istoriei,
16:25
the circle has expanded. One can see, in historical record,
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cercul s-a extins. Se poate observa, in documente istorice,
16:29
it expanding from the village, to the clan, to the tribe,
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cum se extinde la sat, la clan, la trib
16:33
to the nation, to other races, to both sexes,
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la tara, la alte rase, la ambele sexe
16:36
and, in Singer's own arguments, something that we should extend
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si, potrivit propriilor argumente ale lui Singer, ceva ce ar trebui sa extindem
16:38
to other sentient species. The question is,
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si la alte specii inteligente. Intrebarea este,
16:43
if this has happened, what has powered that expansion?
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daca asta s-a intamplat, ce a alimentat aceasta extindere?
16:46
And there are a number of possibilities, such as increasing circles
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Si exista un numar de posibilitati. Cercuri marite
16:49
of reciprocity in the sense that Robert Wright argues for.
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de reciprocitate in sensul sustinut de Robert Wright.
16:54
The logic of the golden rule -- the more you think about and interact
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Logica regulii de aur: cu cat mai mult te gandesti la si interactionezi
16:58
with other people, the more you realize that it is untenable
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cu alti oameni cu atat mai mult realizezi ca nu este fezabil
17:02
to privilege your interests over theirs,
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sa iti privilegiezi propriile interese in defavoarea lor,
17:06
at least not if you want them to listen to you. You can't say
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cel putin nu daca vrei ca ei sa te asculte. Nu poti spune
17:09
that my interests are special compared to yours,
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ca interesele mele sunt speciale in comparatie cu ale tale,
17:12
anymore than you can say that the particular spot
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la fel cum nu poti spune ca locul
17:15
that I'm standing on is a unique part of the universe
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in care stau este o parte unica a universului
17:18
because I happen to be standing on it that very minute.
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pentru ca se intampla sa stau eu acolo in acel moment.
17:21
It may also be powered by cosmopolitanism, by histories,
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S-ar putea sa fie alimentata si de cosmopolitism: de istorii
17:25
and journalism, and memoirs, and realistic fiction, and travel,
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si jurnalistica si memorii si fictiune realista si calatorie
17:29
and literacy, which allows you to project yourself into the lives
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si alfabetizare, care iti permit sa te proiectezi in viata
17:33
of other people that formerly you may have treated as sub-human,
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altor oameni pe care, in prealabil, i-ai fi tratat ca sub-umani,
17:37
and also to realize the accidental contingency of your own station
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si de asemenea sa realizezi accidentalitatea propriei tale conditii
17:41
in life, the sense that "there but for fortune go I."
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in viata; in sensul ca "norocul va petrece."
17:46
Whatever its causes, the decline of violence, I think,
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Oricare i-ar fi cauzele, declinul violentei
17:49
has profound implications. It should force us to ask not just, why
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are implicatii profunde. Ar trebui sa ne faca sa ne intrebam nu doar "De ce
17:53
is there war? But also, why is there peace? Not just,
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exista razboi?" ci si "De ce exista pace?" Nu doar
17:58
what are we doing wrong? But also, what have we been doing right?
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"Unde gresim?" ci si "Unde facem bine?"
18:02
Because we have been doing something right,
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Pentru ca facem ceva bine
18:04
and it sure would be good to find out what it is.
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si tare bine ar fi sa aflam ce este acel ceva.
18:06
Thank you very much.
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Multumesc foarte mult.
18:07
(Applause).
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(Aplauze).
18:18
Chris Anderson: I loved that talk. I think a lot of people here in the room would say
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Chris Anderson: Mi-a placut foarte mult conferinta. Cred ca multi oameni din incaperea asta ar spune
18:22
that that expansion of -- that you were talking about,
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ca extinderea -- cea despre care vorbeati,
18:25
that Peter Singer talks about, is also driven by, just by technology,
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despre care vorbeste Peter Singer, este propulsata de asemenea, de tehnologie
18:28
by greater visibility of the other, and the sense that the world
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de vizibilitate crescuta asupra celorlalti si ca, in acest sens lumea
18:32
is therefore getting smaller. I mean, is that also a grain of truth?
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devine mai mica. Este si acesta un sambure de adevar?
18:36
Steven Pinker: Very much. It would fit both in Wright's theory,
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Steven Pinker: Desigur. S-ar potrivi si cu teoria lui Wright,
18:40
that it allows us to enjoy the benefits of cooperation
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ca ne permite sa ne bucuram de beneficiile cooperarii
18:44
over larger and larger circles. But also, I think it helps us
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in cercuri din ce in ce mai mari. De asemenea, cred ca ne ajuta
18:49
imagine what it's like to be someone else. I think when you read
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sa ne imaginam cum ar fi sa fim altcineva. Cred ca atunci cand citesti
18:52
these horrific tortures that were common in the Middle Ages, you think,
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despre torturile ingrozitoare care erau obisnuite in Evul Mediu, te gandesti
18:55
how could they possibly have done it,
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cum era posibil sa faca asa ceva,
18:57
how could they have not have empathized with the person
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cum puteau sa nu empatizeze cu acea persoana
19:00
that they're disemboweling? But clearly,
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careia ii scoteau intestinele? Dar in mod evident,
19:03
as far as they're concerned, this is just an alien being
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din punctul lor de vedere, este doar o fiinta straina
19:06
that does not have feelings akin to their own. Anything, I think,
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care nu are sentimente similare cu ale lor. Orice, cred eu,
19:09
that makes it easier to imagine trading places
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face mai usor sa te imaginezi schimband locurile
19:12
with someone else means that it increases your moral consideration
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cu altcineva inseamna ca iti sporeste consideratia morala
19:15
to that other person.
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fata de cealalta persoana.
19:16
CA: Well, Steve, I would love every news media owner to hear that talk
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CA: Steve, mi-ar placea ca fiecare proprietar de canal de stiri sa asculte conferinta aceasta
19:20
at some point in the next year. I think it's really important. Thank you so much.
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la un moment dat, anul viitor. Eu cred ca este foarte important. Iti multumesc foarte mult.
19:22
SP: My pleasure.
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SP: Cu mare placere.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Steven Pinker - PsychologistSteven Pinker is a professor of cognitive science (the study of the human mind) who writes about language, mind and human nature.
Why you should listen
Steven Pinker grew up in the English-speaking community of Montreal but has spent his adult life bouncing back and forth between Harvard and MIT. He is interested in all aspects of human nature: how we see, hear, think, speak, remember, feel and interact.
To be specific: he developed the first comprehensive theory of language acquisition in children, used verb meaning as a window into cognition, probed the limits of neural networks and showed how the interaction between memory and computation shapes language. He has used evolution to illuminate innuendo, emotional expression and social coordination. He has documented historical declines in violence and explained them in terms of the ways that the violent and peaceable components of human nature interact in different eras. He has written books on the language instinct, how the mind works, the stuff of thought and the doctrine of the blank slate, together with a guide to stylish writing that is rooted in psychology.
In his latest book, Enlightenment Now: The Case for Reason, Science, Humanism, and Progress, he writes about progress -- why people are healthier, richer, safer, happier and better educated than ever. His other books include The Language Instinct, How the Mind Works, The Blank Slate: The Modern Denial of Human Nature, The Stuff of Thought, and The Better Angels of Our Nature.
Steven Pinker | Speaker | TED.com