--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think it's likely that the civilizing…" description: "\"I think it's likely that the civilizing effect of literature has done most of the work, and still continues to do. Look at Steven Pinker's book, The Be..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/89e/martin-amis-704_angel_i-think-it-s-likely-that-the-civilizing_259919.jpg" --- # I think it's likely that the civilizing effect of… ![“I think it's likely that the civilizing effect of literature has done most of the work, and still continues to do. Look at Steven Pinker's book, The Better Angels of Our Nature: Why Violence Has Declined. It proves beyond any shadow of doubt that violence has declined dramatically throughout the…” quote by Martin Amis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/89e/martin-amis-704_angel_i-think-it-s-likely-that-the-civilizing_259919.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/89e/martin-amis-704_angel_i-think-it-s-likely-that-the-civilizing_259919.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/89e/martin-amis-704_angel_i-think-it-s-likely-that-the-civilizing_259919.jpg) > “I think it's likely that the civilizing effect of literature has done most of the work, and still continues to do. Look at Steven Pinker's book, The Better Angels of Our Nature: Why Violence Has Declined. It proves beyond any shadow of doubt that violence has declined dramatically throughout the centuries. There are various reasons for it: the rise of the state, Leviathan, the monopoly of violence, children's rights, animal rights. They're all positive signs.” [Martin Amis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-amis/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Literature and ideas have helped reduce violence over centuries, shaping more humane societies. **In simple terms:** Stories promote empathy and lower violence. Key Takeaway Read more, support humane culture. Themes humanity violence reduction culture empathy Mood reflective optimistic Type analytical inspirational When to use this quote - education curricula - policy debates - media analysis Key Concepts civilizing effect state formation rights movements Questions to Reflect On - How do narratives influence personal morality? - What other forces drive peace? A Different Perspective Literature alone cannot change structural power dynamics. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Angel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/angel/) [Animal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/animal/) [Animal Rights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/animal-rights-2/) [Better Angels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/better-angels/) [Better Angels Of Our Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/better-angels-of-our-nature/) [Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Doubt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doubt/) [Literature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/literature/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) [Reason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reason/) [Shadow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shadow/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Violence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/violence/) ## Related quotes > [“Steven Pinker, The Better Angels of Our Nature: Why Violence Has Declined, Viking, Nueva York, 2011; posiciones 3279-3282 (Kindle).”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/steven-pinker-the-better-angels-of-our-nature-why-violence-has/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl The Rational Optimist by Matt Ridley The Better Angels of Our Nature by Steven Pinker Sapiens…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-ferriss/man-s-search-for-meaning-by-viktor-e-frankl-the-rational-optimist-by/) [Timothy Ferriss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-ferriss/) > [I think the activism of the 1960s had a very definite civilizing effect on the whole society in all kinds of ways. So lots…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/i-think-the-activism-of-the-1960s-had-a-very-definite-civilizing/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Steven Pinker says, the invention of printing and the widespread appearance of fiction - this taught empathy. If you read a novel, you're in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-amis/steven-pinker-says-the-invention-of-printing-and-the-widespread/) [Martin Amis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-amis/) > [“As the psychologist Steven Pinker puts it, “Exposure to worlds that can be seen only through the eyes of a foreigner, an explorer, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-bloom/as-the-psychologist-steven-pinker-puts-it-exposure-to-worlds-that-can/) [Paul Bloom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-bloom/) > [“Just as television didn't put an end to radio or the movies (to say nothing of books), I don't think e-books will put an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leah-price/just-as-television-didn-t-put-an-end-to-radio-or-the-movies-to-say/) [Leah Price](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leah-price/) > [“Authors, such as William Zinsser, Steven Pinker, Natalie Goldberg, and Stephen King, who have all written exquisite books on the art and craft of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gudjon-bergmann/authors-such-as-william-zinsser-steven-pinker-natalie-goldberg-and/) [Gudjon Bergmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gudjon-bergmann/) > [“Indeed, even Richard Dawkins, Steven Pinker and the other champions of the new scientific world view refuse to abandon liberalism. After dedicating hundreds of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/indeed-even-richard-dawkins-steven-pinker-and-the-other-champions-of/) [Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/) > [“Steven Pinker puts it, “The main lesson of thirty-five years of AI research is that the hard problems are easy and the easy problems…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erik-brynjolfsson/steven-pinker-puts-it-the-main-lesson-of-thirty-five-years-of-ai/) [Erik Brynjolfsson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erik-brynjolfsson/) > [I have an agent, John Brockman, who is an agent to many academic authors like Dan Gilbert and Steven Pinker, and he's very good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-thaler/i-have-an-agent-john-brockman-who-is-an-agent-to-many-academic/) [Richard Thaler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-thaler/) > [If we listen to the better angels of our nature, there are creative and good solutions to serious problems.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-damon/if-we-listen-to-the-better-angels-of-our-nature-there-are-creative/) [Matt Damon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-damon/) > [Anyone else reading The Better Angels of Our Nature? Butter, this book.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cho/anyone-else-reading-the-better-angels-of-our-nature-butter-this-book/) [John Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cho/) > [We are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/we-are-not-enemies-but-friends-we-must-not-be-enemies-though-passion/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [In our resolve to build a better world... we seek to summon what Abraham Lincoln called the better angels of our nature.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-earl-jones/in-our-resolve-to-build-a-better-world-we-seek-to-summon-what-abraham/) [James Earl Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-earl-jones/) > [People are complicated creatures. On the one hand, capable of great acts of charity, and on the other, capable of the most underhanded forms…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-alice/people-are-complicated-creatures-on-the-one-hand-capable-of-great/) [Mary Alice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-alice/) ## More by Martin Amis > [“Yeah,' I said and started smoking another cigarette. Unless I inform you otherwise, I'm always smoking another cigarette.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-amis/yeah-i-said-and-started-smoking-another-cigarette-unless-i-inform-you/) [Martin Amis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-amis/) > [“barrios; each barrio has two or three gangs, and all the gangs are theoretically”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-amis/barrios-each-barrio-has-two-or-three-gangs-and-all-the-gangs-are/) [Martin Amis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-amis/) > [I'm not interested in making a diagnostic novel or a concern. I'm 100 percent committed in fiction to the pleasure principle - that's what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-amis/i-m-not-interested-in-making-a-diagnostic-novel-or-a-concern-i-m-100/) [Martin Amis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-amis/) > [“If we all downed tools and joined hands for ten minutes and stopped believing in money, then money would no longer exist. We never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-amis/if-we-all-downed-tools-and-joined-hands-for-ten-minutes-and-stopped/) [Martin Amis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-amis/) > [When I see a lot of young faces in the audience, it's just sort of sinking in how important that is. Because you're old…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-amis/when-i-see-a-lot-of-young-faces-in-the-audience-it-s-just-sort-of/) [Martin Amis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-amis/) > [“I was informed by my viscera that now was the time to put my arm around her shoulders. I ignored them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-amis/i-was-informed-by-my-viscera-that-now-was-the-time-to-put-my-arm/) [Martin Amis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-amis/) > [You use a different part of your heart with girls.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-amis/you-use-a-different-part-of-your-heart-with-girls/) [Martin Amis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-amis/) > [It's becoming clearer and clearer to me that the world is there to be celebrated by writers, and in fact this is what all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-amis/it-s-becoming-clearer-and-clearer-to-me-that-the-world-is-there-to-be/) [Martin Amis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-amis/) > [In her final months Princess Diana was being shat upon by the tabloids -- basically for sleeping with an Arab. When she died, these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-amis/in-her-final-months-princess-diana-was-being-shat-upon-by-the/) [Martin Amis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-amis/) > [If you feel you have a strong constituency among the young, you can really die happy, because the great unanswered question, the only valid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-amis/if-you-feel-you-have-a-strong-constituency-among-the-young-you-can/) [Martin Amis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-amis/) > [My life looked good on paper - where, in fact, almost all of it was being lived.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-amis/my-life-looked-good-on-paper-where-in-fact-almost-all-of-it-was-being/) [Martin Amis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-amis/) > [I say, 'If I had a serious brain injury I might well write a children's book', but otherwise the idea of being conscious of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-amis/i-say-if-i-had-a-serious-brain-injury-i-might-well-write-a-children-s/) [Martin Amis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-amis/) > [The future could go this way, that way. The future's futures have never looked so rocky. Don't put money on it. Take my advice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-amis/the-future-could-go-this-way-that-way-the-future-s-futures-have-never/) [Martin Amis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-amis/) > [Each life is a game of chess that went to hell on the seventh move(...)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-amis/each-life-is-a-game-of-chess-that-went-to-hell-on-the-seventh-move/) [Martin Amis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-amis/) > [ “There exists a subterranean world where pathological fantasies disguised as ideas are churned out by crooks and half-educated fanatics \[notably the lower clergy\] for… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-amis/there-exists-a-subterranean-world-where-pathological-fantasies/) [Martin Amis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-amis/) [Explore all 393 Martin Amis quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-amis/) ## More Angel quotes > [A man walks down the street. It's a street in a strange world. Maybe it's the third world. Maybe it's his first time around.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-simon/a-man-walks-down-the-street-it-s-a-street-in-a-strange-world-maybe-it/) [Paul Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-simon/) > [If I wer an angel,i would make all your wishes come true..but I'm only a girl a girl who loves you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nix/if-i-wer-an-angel-i-would-make-all-your-wishes-come-true-but-i-m-only/) [Nix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nix/) > [Peace is the first thing the angels sang. Peace is the mark of the children of God. Peace is the nurse of love. Peace…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-leo-i/peace-is-the-first-thing-the-angels-sang-peace-is-the-mark-of-the/) [Pope Leo I](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-leo-i/) > [“Every child is born as angel.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/every-child-is-born-as-angel/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [“Behind my eyelids, I saw him dancing in spirals of coloured light, emerald, blue, and brilliant purple, enfolding him like the wings of an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexis-hall/behind-my-eyelids-i-saw-him-dancing-in-spirals-of-coloured-light/) [Alexis Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexis-hall/) > [All that I am or ever hope to be, I owe to my angel Mother.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/all-that-i-am-or-ever-hope-to-be-i-owe-to-my-angel-mother/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [I don't think people will ever forget I was an 'Angel,' anymore than they'll forget Sally Field was 'The Flying Nun.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheryl-ladd/i-don-t-think-people-will-ever-forget-i-was-an-angel-anymore-than/) [Cheryl Ladd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheryl-ladd/) > [It's a great story for us whenever an entrepreneur makes a crazy amount of money and we get to tell the world about it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-lacy/it-s-a-great-story-for-us-whenever-an-entrepreneur-makes-a-crazy/) [Sarah Lacy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-lacy/) > [I believe in UFOs, I believe in extraterrestrials, and I believe in angels. And maybe they'll protect all of us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-maclaine/i-believe-in-ufos-i-believe-in-extraterrestrials-and-i-believe-in/) [Shirley MacLaine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-maclaine/) > [Sometimes we have the absolute certainty there's something inside us that's so hideous and monstrous that if we ever search it out we won't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hubert-selby-jr/sometimes-we-have-the-absolute-certainty-there-s-something-inside-us/) [Hubert Selby, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hubert-selby-jr/) > [Flowers are the alphabet of angels, whereby they write on the hills and fields mysterious truths.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/flowers-are-the-alphabet-of-angels-whereby-they-write-on-the-hills/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [You should never feel lonely, neglected, fearful, or defeated when you remember that there are the shining ones. They are watching with keen interest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/flower-a-newhouse/you-should-never-feel-lonely-neglected-fearful-or-defeated-when-you/) [Flower A. Newhouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/flower-a-newhouse/) > [Hark the herald angels sing, 'Glory to the new-born king.' Peace on earth, and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-wesley/hark-the-herald-angels-sing-glory-to-the-new-born-king-peace-on-earth/) [Charles Wesley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-wesley/) > [Man was created a little lower than the angels and has been getting a little lower ever since.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-billings/man-was-created-a-little-lower-than-the-angels-and-has-been-getting-a/) [Josh Billings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-billings/) > [Mooner was walking around laying his hands on the cars, divining karma. "this is it", he said, standing by a small khaki-colored jeep."this car…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-evanovich/mooner-was-walking-around-laying-his-hands-on-the-cars-divining-karma/) [Janet Evanovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-evanovich/) [Browse all 4,625 Angel quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/angel/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I think it's likely that the civilizing effect of literature has done most of the work, and still continues to do. Look at Steven Pinker's book, The Better Angels of Our Nature: Why Violence Has Declined. It proves beyond any shadow of doubt that violence has declined dramatically throughout the centuries. There are various reasons for it: the rise of the state, Leviathan, the monopoly of violence, children's rights, animal rights. 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