Rethinking Humanity: Embracing Our Inherent Goodness

Skills you will build

About this course

In Humankind: A Hopeful History, renowned historian Rutger Bregman seeks to answer an age-old question: Are humans inherently good or bad? Traversing the realms of psychology, history, politics, and archaeology (among other fields), Bregman concludes that, at our core, humans are decidedly good. In fact, Bregman argues, it is the very trait of friendliness that gives us an evolutionary advantage over other species. The real problem Bregman identifies is civilization: Once we started to settle down, claim property, and live sedentary lifestyles, our health and happiness plummeted – as did our faith and trust in other people.

Course outline

11 topics · 1 hour

1. 1 Introduction
2. 2 The News Is to Blame
3. 3 Is Civilization a Good Idea?
4. 4 We Have Evolved to Be Friendly
5. 5 Violence Is Not in Our Nature
6. 6 We’re Not So Cruel After All
7. 7 People Help One Another More Than We Think
8. 8 Empathy Is Overrated
9. 9 Get Intrinsically Motivated
10. 10 Conclusion
11. 11 Quiz