I don’t think there is a slackening of the rate of innovation in human conflict. Military technology in the form of drones and autonomous weapons systems is rapidly advancing. Artificial intelligence, combined with advances in social networking, is enabling greater conflict among ideologies.
So if competition and conflict are the mainsprings of Western Civ, we appear to be entering a new golden age. I hope the body count isn’t too high.
“So if competition and conflict are the mainsprings of Western Civ, we appear to be entering a new golden age. I hope the body count isn’t too high.”
Well it’s not unbridled competition. The competition is tempered by the rule of law.
So it’s not totally the rule of the jungle. There is a “greater power” (the state) that makes sure that the competition doesn’t become (too) physical.
That applies within a country. Between countries the rule of the jungle is still pretty much alive and well. There are extra-national organization such as the UN to try to keep the peace, but their impact is limited.
The author misses the real reason for the success of the west. People are naturally competitive everywhere. What separates the west from the rest is we, somehow, stumbled upon the idea of letting people be free to pursue their happiness within the context of the rule of law.