Bregman is certain humans are not as bad as we fear we are — and he’s written a book, ‘Humankind: A Hopeful History,’ to prove it
Rutger Bregman, understands it’s hard to be optimistic about humanity at the moment: We’re in the throes of a global pandemic and an international recession is biting at our heels. The mass protests in the wake of George Floyd’s killing by police in Minneapolis underline the existence of systemic racism and the social inequalities experienced by people of color. Not to mention global warming.
So it’s unsurprising that the popular Dutch historian’s second English-language book, “Humankind: A Hopeful History,” was met with eyebrow-raising suspicion.
Bregman himself remains steadfastly positive in his thesis that people are generally good.
“A summary of my book in one sentence would be: Most people are decent, but power corrupts,” he said. “It’ll be a summary of this moment as well. We see the extraordinary courage of millions of protesters and the corruption of those who are supposed to protect and serve.”
His passion for his subject is unflagging.
“What do those in power fear the most?” he asked. “The opposite of fear. Which is hope. That’s why I believe it’s an act of defiance to keep believing in the good of humanity. To remember that most people are decent. To focus on the overwhelming majority of courageous and determined citizens who are protesting peacefully.”
Bregman’s inspiration for “Humankind” came off the back of his English-language debut, “Utopia for Realists.” It was a bestseller that argued for a universal basic income — a no-strings-attached payment that would cover basic needs, like food, shelter and education — so that no-one would live in poverty.
His research offered an overview of all the evidence that shows this policy can work. But he faced opposition to his idea, which was dismissed by some as “communist fantasy.”
“I heard the same objection again and again. ‘But what about human nature? Aren’t most people selfish and lazy?’ That’s when I realized that I needed to dig much deeper,” he said. “In ‘Humankind,’ I try to show that we need to move to a much more hopeful and more realistic view of how we are as a species.”
The primatologist and social critic Frans de Waal calls it “veneer theory:” the idea that civilization is just a thin veneer and that during a crisis (such as a pandemic) we reveal our true selves and become violent savages. Like de Waal, Bregman outrightly rejects this view.
“For so long, veneer theory has been used to justify hierarchy, racism and oppression,” Bregman said. “Those in power want us to focus on isolated acts of looting and vandalism. They want us to believe that we need them to restore law and order … But who are the real savages right now? We’ve seen police cars ramming through crowds, officers knocking down an elderly man with a cane, shooting at journalists, et cetera, while the president himself cheered them on. We’ve seen the corrupting effects of power everywhere.”
More than five years in the making, “Humankind” is a comprehensive, cogently argued thesis that champions the goodness in people through time. The book draws on expansive research and includes case studies and proposals for change. Bregman’s ambit spans many disciplines: biology, genetics, archaeology, philosophy, anthropology, psychology, history, economics and sociology.
In clear, compelling and accessible writing, the author explores the evolution of our species, which he argues was predicated on “survival of the friendliest.” Although struggle and competition were clearly factors, he argues that cooperation was far more critical. He also unpacks the human negativity bias, which means we’re more attuned to the bad news than the good.
This is why he makes a distinction between the news and journalism — and cautions against watching the former. “The sensational reporting about mostly negative incidents is not good for us. It can make us anxious, cynical and depressed. Psychologists even have a term for this: they call it ‘mean world syndrome,’” he said. “Good, constructive journalism talks truth to power and helps (us) to understand the world and to get a more realistic view of our history and nature.”
Among the many extraordinary facts unearthed in “Humankind” is the case of a real-life “Lord of the Flies,” which turned William Golding’s famous book about marooned schoolboys-turned-savages on its head.
“It was amazing to discover a real case of kids shipwrecking on an island in 1965, near Tonga in the Pacific Ocean,” Bregman said. “Turns out the real ‘Lord of the Flies’ is a story of hope and friendship; of courage and resilience. I managed to track down the four survivors still alive today and the captain who rescued them. They are still the best of friends! After the story went viral, the six of us managed to connect over Zoom.” Bregman calls this discovery the highlight of his career.
Stories like this are interwoven throughout ‘Humankind,’ which succeeds in blasting cynicism and casting doubt on theories of humanity that describe us as being a species governed by self-interest.
Maybe we’re better than we think we are?
“It’s easy to imagine a dark path ahead of us,” Bregman acknowledges. “Still, I hope readers will find some comfort in the ideas of the scientists, entrepreneurs, activists and citizens in my book, because there’s hope in our history as well.”
Courtesy of The Big Issue Australia / INSP.ngo
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