The Moral Arc: How Science and Reason Lead Humanity Toward Truth, Justice, and Freedom

Martin Luther King Jr. said that "the arc of the moral universe is long but it bends toward justice." Shermer (economics, Claremont Graduate Univ.; Why People Believe Weird Things; The Believing Brain; founding publisher, Skeptic magazine; editor, skeptic.com; columnist, Scientific American) discusses why science and reason are the forces behind that drive toward justice. Though religion is often considered the basis of ethics, Shermer convincingly disputes that idea, noting that organized religious communities have been relatively slow to grant civil rights and that the Bible endorses practices condemned today, such as slavery. Shermer raises uncomfortable questions about humanity's relationship with animals, concluding that the latter feel suffering and must be included in the moral arc toward justice, though it may take much time. Other difficult but important topics the author's narrative explores are the Holocaust, psychopathic behavior, and restorative vs. retributive criminal justice. His prediction that women's rights will continue to expand unabated may seem off-putting and glib in light of current struggles.