. >> michael shermer is the founding publisher of skeptic magazine and is columnist for scientific american that he discusses how science has impose away weeping about human rights democracy freedom education and prosperity. this program is next on booktv. >> welcome to the cato institute institute. i am david boaz executive vice president of the institute and its my honor today to be able to introduce and moderate this program. we hear a lot these days for the past few decades about moral decline in america, moral decline in the world. it covers a lot of different areas. not clear that those are always the most relevant areas to what we might consider public morality. bill bennett made a career out of talking about moral decline. lots of radio talk shows have that is a common theme. most days there's an op-ed in the "washington times" decrying moral decline in america and indeed i saw recently that three-quarters of americans think that we are in a period of moral decline. so it seems pretty convincing but there is an argument that we are in an era of moral progress and i think more people

. >> michael shermer is a founding journalist for skeptic magazine. he discusses how science has influence the way we think about human rights democracy freedom, education and prosperity. this program is next on booktv. >> welcome to takeda institute. i and the executive vice president of the institute and is my honor to be able to introduce and moderate this program. we hear a lot of these days, the past few decades about moral decline and america, moral decline and the world. covers a lot of areas. not clear that those are always the most relevant areas to what we might consider public morality. bill bennett made a career out of talking about moral decline. lots of radio talk shows have that as the common theme. most days there is an opera in the washington times decrying moral decline in america and indeed i saw a poll recently that said three quarters of americans think we are in a

author of this book michael shermer is the founding publisher of skeptic magazine, mccollum is assigned to the american and regular contributors to time.com and the presidential fellow at chapman university. the is the author of numerous previous books including the be leading brain, from ghosts and dogs to politics and conspiracies, how we construct beliefs and reinforce the mess truths, but the mind of the market on evolutionary economics, why darwin matters, and the science of good and evil. today he is here to talk about his newest book. welcomed the author moral arc: how science and reason lead humanity toward truth, justice, and freedom," michael shermer. >> it was a degrees when i left california. i don't even have a jacket. i just have this. in make adjustments i guess. the human progress website is quite good. i wish it had come out when i was doing my research. there are quite a few of us talking about moral progress. is not really popular. there are reasons why pessimism sells better than optimism. for me it is a natural extension of what i do. we are a crow's science magazin

please welcome, the author of our book we will talk about today, michael shermer. >> thank for having me. thank for it snow. it was 80 when i left southern california and i forgot a jacket. i don't have a jacket. just this. you make adjustments. the human progress website is really good. there is quite a few of us talking about moral progress. it is not really poplar. there is reasons why being a pessimist sells better than being an optimistic. science and reason is my thing and i have written and talked about pseudo science and science and religion and science and morality and what extent science can have anything to say about morality and it has nothing to say about right and wrong and human values. that is part of thunone of the theisis in my book. my title comes from the inspiration speech probably the second great-est speech, martin luther king gave and the march from selma which is in a film now. i thought it was a great story of watt it was taken. the speech wasn't on the steps of the capital. everything says from the selma march he gave the speech on the capital steps but he d

[applause] >> michael shermer would be glad to sign copies of the book and we invite you all to go upel for lunch. you can take the spiral staircase or the elevator. there will be books up there and there are also restrooms up on the second floor on your right. thanks for coming. >> thank you again. [inaudible conversations] >> you are watching booktv on c-span2 with top notch and -- top nonfiction authors and we can. booktv television for serious readers. c-span2 providing live coverage of u.s. senate floor proceedings and key public policy sense and every weekend a booktv, now for 15 years the only television network devoted to nonfiction books and authors. .. speakers will include the former u.s. ambassador to ukraine. live coverage gets underway at 12:30 p.m. eastern on c-span2. about next the discussion on governance and leadership in the world from the united states to europe to asia. part of a conscience -- conference from the rand corporation speakers include francis fukuyama and banking regulator sheila bair. this is about an hour. >> hello welcome back. i am michael rich, pr

. >> michael shermer is the founding publisher of skeptic magazine and is columnist for scientific american that he discusses how science has impose away weeping about human rights democracy freedom education and prosperity. this program is next on booktv.

[applause] michael shermer will be happy to sign copies of the book. we invite you up for lunch the spiral staircase or the elevator. there are books also on the staircase. thank you for coming. [inaudible conversations] [applause] good morning everyone who is watching the technology. the panel will be fascinating and you will have a great time. i am not used to having this many people show up to see me without a court order. [laughter] this will be fabulous. the panel discussion in is by the book. did we have authors and common nicholson, francine and walter. [applause] news paul is the editor of "the new york times" book review in the popular interview call love by the book. her new book brings together 65 of the most intriguing and fascinating exchanges over time. she is joined by the author of six novels as well as the co-owner of the bookstore. heard newest book is the story of a happy marriage before the publication of her first novel she wrote for seven teen magazine. >> some novels the latest is in the chronicles we're a protagonist appears aga