The Decreasing Violence of Man (Humans)

by xeno6696 , Sonoran Desert, Thursday, April 26, 2012, 01:04 (4597 days ago) @ Balance_Maintained

**Edit**
> 
> I should have stated my case more clearly:
> 
> 1: Fewer violent deaths does not equal fewer acts of violence, only a decrease in the fatality rate of these occurrences. I.E. Improved medical techniques and faster response times mean that what was once a fatal wound is now a treatable injury. 
> 
> 2: If #1 is true, then even if the number of violent acts increased on the same scale as the population, the perceived percentage of violence would shift to appear to be decreasing.
> 
> 3: Other medical improvements have significantly prolonged the number of humans alive at a given time.
> 
> 4: Preventative/Curative medical advances also dramatically increase the population by cutting the number of fatal cases. 
> 
> 5: If 3 & 4 are true, they would serve to amplify the perspective shift of #2. 
> 
> A better measure would be the number of violent acts committed in one era versus another. Unfortunately, there is no way to gather such data reliably. So, your author is at best, posing an optimistic haphazard guess.-He directly addresses one of your concerns (Hinted at by you.) He says early on that in terms of ancient man, one thing we *can't* determine is if the person died of infection due to a wound gained violently. However, the further back in time you go, the more signs of foul play you tend to see in ancient human bones. An interesting thing to think about. -It's way too early for anyone to be calling his work haphazard... most of his argument so far is being built using studies already conducted. Modern statistics give us a really fine level of control however: IN all westernized countries, violence has been decreasing, in terms of the number of reported crimes. I'm sure you heard over the last two decades here in the US, that violent crime is going down. -Again, that math I was throwing around, was mine, in an attempt to try and discuss it in a way that could reach David and dhw. -The author's computed rates for violent deaths when death rate is looked at is less than 1%. This is adjusted for birth rates, nonviolent death rates, all the stochastic math that would just look like garbage to you guys. -That stuff isn't in the book, just the tables, but the papers he pulls them from are a great read if you like equations!

--
\"Why is it, Master, that ascetics fight with ascetics?\"

\"It is, brahmin, because of attachment to views, adherence to views, fixation on views, addiction to views, obsession with views, holding firmly to views that ascetics fight with ascetics.\"