An ideology can provide a satisfying narrative that explains chaotic events and collective misfortunes in a way that flatters the virtue and competence of believers, while being vague or conspiratorial enough to withstand skeptical scrutiny.

Anything that makes it easier to imagine trading places with someone else increases your moral consideration for that other person.

Dominance in an adaptation to anarchy and it serves no purpose in a society that has undergone a civilising process or in an international system regulated by agreements and norms. Anything that deflates the concept of dominance is likely to drive down the frequency of fights between individuals and wars.

Being smarter gives you a tailwind throughout life. People who are more intelligent earn more, live longer, get divorced less, are less likely to get addicted to alcohol and tobacco, and their children live longer.

The theory that religion is a force for peace, often heard among the religious right and its allies today, does not fit the facts of history.

With violence, as with so many other concerns, human nature is the problem, but human nature is also the solution.

Evolution is an indispensable component of any satisfying explanation of our psychology.