Humankind
I can’t think of a better year to read Rutger Bregman’s Humankind: A Hopeful History (2019, English translation published in 2020). As this year has challenged so many things about both our collective and individual lives Bregman’s big questions and arguments for paradigmatic shift seem right on cue. What if the assumptions on which most of our institutions were based proved false? What if we saw humans as kind, cooperative, and socially-driven instead of deceitful, self-interested, and violent? These are the questions Humankind develops as Bregman builds an argument that much of the “realism” on which our lives depend is largely based on a lie. Before discounting Bregman’s premise as naïve, readers should grapple with the lengthy examples through which he makes his case.
Humankind interweaves anecdotal evidence and extensive research to prove that humans are, in fact, kind, cooperative, and trusting, even if we are doubtful of that fact ourselves. He investigates the underlying assumptions behind thinkers like Hobbes and Locke and the way Enlightenment philosophy has shaped our world views and institutions. Bregman echoes Locke as he makes the case that as humans left off hunter-gatherer lifestyles and settled into communities, we fell into distrust of one another and became increasingly warlike. Therefore, he argues, we are naturally wired to work together and trust one another. While some of Bregman’s points didn’t feel entirely convincing, I found many of his arguments both thought-provoking and insightful. I also found that I, like many readers, no doubt, am willing to give human kindness a chance.
There are certain things, Bregman argues, that we must keep in mind when considering human nature. One, we live up to expectations, but we also live down to them. Thus, when most people think people are not trustworthy, people tend to realize that expectation. Two, humans remember negative interactions and experiences far more than they recall positive ones. And three, we are addicted to the news which feeds off negativity and encourages us to think the worst of fellow humans. This point felt particularly poignant at this moment of heightened polarization and fear. And yet, Bregman is anything but despairing. Rather he points out, “scientists from an array of different fields [have recently] come to the conclusion that our grim view of humanity is due for radical revision” (19). Ultimately, this book works its reader through a litany of reasons why “[t]he time has come for a new view of human nature. It’s time for a new realism” (20). Bregman’s Humankind makes the case that “most people, deep down, are pretty decent” (2).
Humankind goes on to provide plenty of historical examples when humans didn’t interact in the selfish narratives we have accepted as truth. He compares the fictional Lord of the Flies to a historic example of a bunch of school boys shipwrecked on an island for over a year. The novel, Bregman proves, is nothing more than fiction; sadly, it is a narrative that many of people have adopted as realistic. Likewise, he scrutinizes the reality of certain situations in stark contrast to the narratives put forth by the media, certain academic studies, or various government agencies. He interweaves academic research that reinforces his message that humans are intrinsically kind while he undermines the famous research experiments that suggest otherwise.
This nonfiction is provocative and reminiscent of other recent works that shift thinking (like Yuval Harari’s Sapiens, for example). What’s more, Humankind seems a necessary read if you find yourself on the brink of despair regarding the current state of humanity after, perhaps consuming too much news after months and months of social distancing. Humankind is not merely theoretical; Bregman cites examples of places and institutions that have found success in innovating and adopting elements of what he terms “new realism.” Finally, after plenty of academic inquiry, Humankind makes the conversation personal by presenting a list of “Ten Rules to Live By” (which, I found echoing sentiments shared by popular social scientists like Brené Brown). This epilogue, while flirting with self-help rhetoric, boils down Bregman’s argument into tangible ways all of us can work to create a new realism, one based on the reality that humans are fundamentally kind. Overall, I found Humankind a refreshing read. it is the sort of book that I will refer to in future conversations and contemplate deeply. Ultimately, I hope to see its points become more mainstream as they provide an antidote to many of today’s challenge that plague us.
Bibliography:
Bregman, Rutger. Humankind: A Hopeful History. Translated by Elizabeth Manton and Erica Moore. Litter, Brown, & Co.: 2020.
