by Taly Harel-Marian

Today, scholars like Harvard psychologist Steven Pinker claim that we actually live in the most peaceful period in human history. If so, how can we explain this?

In a recent paper, Gat (2012) examines different explanations for the data that show violence and mortality rates related to conflicts actually dropped steeply over the last few centuries. Like others, he argues that the three longest periods of peace in modern times all occurred after 1815. However, Gat rejects the idea that the main reason is that wars became more costly and destructive during the past two centuries. As an alternative, he suggests that there is less war in the world because peace has become more profitable. Developments in industrialization, economic growth and other types of social and governmental interdependence between nations create a situation in which people have much more to gain during peace than during war. In the past, being wealthy was often viewed at the expense of the other party. Today wealth is based less on a zero-sum game; both parties can become wealthier. Additionally, leaders nowadays understand that it is no longer necessary to possess a territory in order benefit from it. Economic and commercial access is today less associated with geographic borders.

What does it mean when looking ahead into the future? Hopefully, a better understanding of the costs of violence and benefits of peace will motivate more peace in the world.

As Gat concludes: “In pursuit of their aims people may employ any of the following strategies: cooperation, peaceful competition, and violent conflict”. Using conflict is just one route and not necessarily the one that maximizes one nation’s political, social and economic gains. He challenges the assumption that war is inevitable and that humans are “wired” to fight each other. Peace simply makes good sense.