Violence: A Constant Scenario

Violence: a constant scenario

Violence is an inherent feature of the human species, it is something natural that surrounds us daily, says the Spanish philosopher and writer Fernando Savater in his critical article entitled as ‘’ Violence and Patrañas ’’ ’’ ’. We are facing a fact: violence has always existed. But not all humanity is violent. They are almost always about young people who have certain physical qualities that instead veterans have already lost them. For good and worse, Dr. Ostrosky, an expert in the biological bases of human violence, points out that ‘we are born with a predisposition to aggression, to later learn when we can and must express or inhibit these trends’ ’’ ’’.

The fundamental problem is in educational systems where there is not enough talk about the role of violence in societies. Satisfactory ways of behavior with respect to violence are not promoted. The violent impulse is part of each human being, therefore, it is necessary to educate young people how to channel this impulse. If this does not improve we will continue living in the same conditions, in a repetitive scenario. The more formed is people, the less tends to resort to violence. Education is fundamental, what we give to children or nephews will be the morning reflection. According to the author, it is useless then the search for those responsible. We must accept that violence is still present and as such it is difficult to start it from society. In other words, violence presents our common denominator and we should seek change through education in order to achieve a safer society, without violence of any kind.

On this security, Steven Pinker wrote in his work Los Angeles that we carry inside, where as Savater defends the opposite idea regarding the understanding that society has of the human condition. He moves away from the belief that says: ‘’ We live in an increasingly aggressive society ’’ and also as Savater denies the effects of the media that seem to frighten people for the high degree of violence that appears in the programs. With modernization, changes in society violence decreased. War conflicts are going to less and we live in an increasingly safe time. In his analysis Pinker exposes evidence that suggests that we are less exposed to violence than our ancestors were. In his book he evokes Hobbes and his Leviathan to remember that ‘’ Man is the wolf of man ’’ to show that humanity has been accompanied by violence since the beginning in all its private and public areas. In his point of view on the reason for the decline of violence today for Pinker were the circumstances that have changed over time and, therefore, those that have encouraged the balance in favor of our angels. These circumstances also called historical forces, where among others is the commercial exchange that caused the gain of both parties, accompanied by new technologies have also facilitated the exchange of experiences in a more global and effective way.

The conclusion of the two authors would be that violence, although decreased thanks to changes such as the beginning of the feminization process in which the interests of the female gender are increasingly respected, to tolerance towards a global and different perspective from ours, we have not yet eradicated violence completely. The fight against violence remains one of the great challenges of society. That is why in Pinker the thesis inconsistency is detected. It is not that violence has decreased but today is exercised more silently and sophisticated. At least the analysis figures, which Manuela Aguilera carried out, show that violence spread throughout the world. As if we were in an endless series of violent beings that carried the taste of belittling and damaging others. According to Manuela Aguilera the data are chilling. Violence reappears as a category always present here, among us, which results in various ways. Statistics say that gender violence increases, especially abuse towards women. 

By autonomous communities, with a rate of 14.8 homicides per million women aged 15 years and over, La Rioja is the community in the lead in sexist violence. Murcia (6,8) Canary Islands (5.7) and Castilla y León (5,3) followed (5,3). And to complete this radiography of the horror of the year 2008 it was in 53% of the deaths due to the use of a white weapon, 15.9% of the crimes were due to blows. The percentage of violence would be higher if we counted the complaints that did not come out in statistics because the victims lied about the origin of their wounds. A widely used indicator to describe the "degree of violence" is the number of violent deaths or homicide

Pinker seems that it does not take into account that violence is multiform. It is not just about the Army of Physical Force with the purpose of causing damage. The author of his definition excludes psychological violence, threats, racism, ignorance among others. On the other hand, his vision pays little attention to certain Latin American or African countries where violence is exercised wildly. In the scientific dissemination magazine, Scientific American, psychologist Robert Epstein criticizes the way Pinker described the degree of violence in the past. Instead of using the absolute number of violent deaths in a certain time, the author used that per capita number. 

Also the text Los Angeles we carry inside can generate the doubt about the approach of the ideas where the author forgot to articulate a speech about the source and the causes of violent acts. In any case, Pinker’s book will remain important in the debate on violence. Achieves his goal of reflecting: what did the ancestors badly in the past so that we live quietly today? It is a fact that modernity brought us more safe and long -live. This refers to threatens. Likewise, Pinker in his article just invites reflection on the way of life in which we live and feel gratitude for civilization that enabled less conflicts in the new stage of the 21st century.

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

• Aguilera, m. (2009): «Gender violence, social problem». Critical Magazine, N.960, 12-17 http: // www.Critical magazine.com/administrator/components/com_avzrevistas/pdfs/a22e10b8e4a3fa5204a729f94ceaaad5-960-violence-go-g -ero-problema-social-mar-open.2009.PDF [Consultation: December 1, 2018]
• Savater, f. (1996): «Violence and Patrañas». El País, https: // elpais.com/Diario/1996/10/13/Opinion/845157610_850215.HTML [Consultation: December 2, 2018]
• Pinker, s. (2012): Los Angeles we carry inside. The decline of violence and its implications, Barcelona: Paidós.
• Epstein r. (2011) :): «Book Review: The Better Angels of Our Nature: Why Violence has decined». Scientific American, https: // www.Scientific American.com/article/Bookreview-Steven-Pinker-The-Better-Angels-Off-Our-Nature-Why-Violence-HaS-Declined/[Consultation: December 2, 2018]