--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The ordering of events is in the right…" description: "\"“The ordering of events is in the right direction: technological advances in publishing, the mass production of books, the expansion of literacy, and t..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/434/steven-pinker-526_18th-century_the-ordering-of-events-is-in-the-right-d_2711080.jpg" --- # The ordering of events is in the right direction… ![“The ordering of events is in the right direction: technological advances in publishing, the mass production of books, the expansion of literacy, and the popularity of the novel all preceded the major humanitarian reforms of the 18th century.” quote by Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/434/steven-pinker-526_18th-century_the-ordering-of-events-is-in-the-right-d_2711080.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/434/steven-pinker-526_18th-century_the-ordering-of-events-is-in-the-right-d_2711080.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/434/steven-pinker-526_18th-century_the-ordering-of-events-is-in-the-right-d_2711080.jpg) > ““The ordering of events is in the right direction: technological advances in publishing, the mass production of books, the expansion of literacy, and the popularity of the novel all preceded the major humanitarian reforms of the 18th century.”” [Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Explains that technological and literary advances set the stage for 18th‑century humanitarian reforms. **In simple terms:** Advances in media and literacy preceded reforms. Key Takeaway Recognize the impact of information on social change. Themes history technology humanitarianism Mood thoughtful inquisitive Type academic historical When to use this quote - historical analysis - academic lectures - public talks Key Concepts printing press mass literacy Questions to Reflect On - How do media shape reform movements? - What modern parallels exist today? A Different Perspective May oversimplify complex causes. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [18th century](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/18th-century/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Humanitarian Reforms](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humanitarian-reforms-2808812/) [Mass production](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mass-production/) [Novel Preceded](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/novel-preceded-2808814/) [Reforms 18Th](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reforms-18th-2808813/) [Right direction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/right-direction/) [Technology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/technology/) ## Related quotes > [I think it may not be a coincidence that the rise of printing and book publication and literacy and the phenomenon of best sellers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/i-think-it-may-not-be-a-coincidence-that-the-rise-of-printing-and/) [Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/) > [In the 18th century, James Hargreaves invented the Spinning Jenny, and Richard Arkwright pioneered the water-propelled spinning frame which led to the mass production…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-n-wilson/in-the-18th-century-james-hargreaves-invented-the-spinning-jenny-and/) [A. N. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-n-wilson/) > [The technology of mass production is inherently violent, ecologically damaging, self-defeating in terms of non-renewable resources, and stultifying for the human person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-f-schumacher/the-technology-of-mass-production-is-inherently-violent-ecologically/) [E. F. Schumacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-f-schumacher/) > [Development has to result in jobs. What we need is not just more production, but mass production and production by masses.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/narendra-modi/development-has-to-result-in-jobs-what-we-need-is-not-just-more/) [Narendra Modi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/narendra-modi/) > [The law I sign today directs new funds and new focus to the task of collecting vital intelligence on terrorist threats and on weapons…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/the-law-i-sign-today-directs-new-funds-and-new-focus-to-the-task-of/) [George W. 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Tolkien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-r-tolkien/) > [I know there are lots of positives in the evolution of technology, but I also think it will be responsible for the end of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-marling/i-know-there-are-lots-of-positives-in-the-evolution-of-technology-but/) [Laura Marling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-marling/) > [The characteristic feature of modern capitalism is mass production of goods destined for consumption by the masses. The result is a tendency towards a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/the-characteristic-feature-of-modern-capitalism-is-mass-production-of/) [Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/) > [Most of today's film actresses are typical of a mass-production age: living dolls who look as if they came off an assembly line and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-lawrenson/most-of-today-s-film-actresses-are-typical-of-a-mass-production-age/) [Helen Lawrenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-lawrenson/) > [Think of all the mesquite in Texas, the pinyon pines, the acorns in Appalachia, every place has the possibility of mass production. It's an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-salatin/think-of-all-the-mesquite-in-texas-the-pinyon-pines-the-acorns-in/) [Joel Salatin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-salatin/) > [“Many of the more ghastly and idiotic aspects of the Great War were made possible by the coincidence of mass-production and the social religion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-andrew-hugh-gordon/many-of-the-more-ghastly-and-idiotic-aspects-of-the-great-war-were/) [Gilbert Andrew Hugh Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-andrew-hugh-gordon/) > [Just as modern mass production requires the standardization of commodities, so the social process requires standardization of man, and this standardization is called equality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-fromm/just-as-modern-mass-production-requires-the-standardization-of/) [Erich Fromm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-fromm/) > [Hollywood... was the place where the United States perpetrated itself as a universal dream and put the dream into mass production.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-carter/hollywood-was-the-place-where-the-united-states-perpetrated-itself-as/) [Angela Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-carter/) > [As the OLPC laptop was getting ready to go into mass production in 2007, many executives approached me wanting the screen that I invented,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-lou-jepsen/as-the-olpc-laptop-was-getting-ready-to-go-into-mass-production-in/) [Mary Lou Jepsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-lou-jepsen/) ## More by Steven Pinker > [Forcing modern speakers of English to not - whoops, not to split an infinitive because it isn't done in Latin makes about as much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/forcing-modern-speakers-of-english-to-not-whoops-not-to-split-an/) [Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/) > [Consistent style prevents presentation from getting in the way of content.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/consistent-style-prevents-presentation-from-getting-in-the-way-of/) [Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/) > [The supposedly immaterial soul, we now know, can be bisected with a knife, altered by chemicals, started or stopped by electricity, and extinguished by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/the-supposedly-immaterial-soul-we-now-know-can-be-bisected-with-a/) [Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/) > [I've never argued that humans are massively hot-wired. 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One timeless lesson…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-kennedy/the-lessons-of-the-first-amendment-are-as-urgent-in-the-modern-world/) [Anthony Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-kennedy/) > [ By 18th century standards, they \[Great Britain\] were the freest, most dynamic, most willing to challenge tradition and authority. They had the highest wages… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-r-morris/by-18th-century-standards-they-great-britain-were-the-freest-most/) [Charles R. 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Ladies and gentlemen, this is the man that we need to lead us into the 18th…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-letterman/newt-gingrich-wants-to-repeal-child-labor-laws-ladies-and-gentlemen/) [David Letterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-letterman/) > [ “I shou'd not myself have thought \[Cato\] worth so much notice as I have here taken of him; but that the Men are weak… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lady-sophia-fermor/i-shou-d-not-myself-have-thought-cato-worth-so-much-notice-as-i-have/) [Lady Sophia Fermor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lady-sophia-fermor/) > [The theory of social contracts extends as far back as Plato. 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