The higher path is love, peace, and civility. But civilization is not built by denying danger. It is built by rising above our animal programming while protecting the fragile conditions that make kindness possible.

The most dangerous movements often announce their ambitions clearly. The failure of civilized societies is not a lack of warning, but the refusal to believe what predators say they intend to do.

Racism and bigotry — and the emotion of fear from which they emanate — are instinctive. They are biological survival imperatives shared by all humans.

(Updated. Original post 7.12.14) As soon as we begin to differentiate between nations, arguing that nations are not equally evolved or...

THE PROBLEM I have become increasingly aware of how difficult it seems to be for people with different views to have a respectful and...