Rutger Burgman's Humankind A Hopeful history - review

Rutger Burgman's Humankind, A Hopeful history - Book review 

    This book is almost similar to Hans Rosling book 'Factfulness' conceptually. In Factfulness, humanity's past is compared historically. Here it is analysed from a perspective of how majority of humankind has mostly been kind and decent even in most adverse situations. The author is quoting from real life examples to case studies that include war fronts. This book is more like reading a collection of Reader's Digest special feature articles. Otherwise, a gem of a work written from a new hope and refreshing point of view. I would recommend this book to all who hold cynical view on the state of the world to know a completely different perspective.

       Humans are inherently kind and lovable and mostly in times of crisis they react decent and civil contrary to popular belief, this statement of the author is the crux of this book.

       Book looks like a collection of Reader's digest stories after a certain point. The author 's arguments for positivity runs out of steam midway through. It is then the author tries to pile up more and more pages by giving anecdotes from various experiments which happened all over western world. 

        But the Size apart, the book is worth reading just for the positive outlook it presents. Hans Rosling's work is basically a statistical presentation to buttress his super positive worldview by comparing 200 years of phenomenal human progress. Here, Rutger gives a lots of real life incidents and studies to put forth the point how humans are good natured and basically well behaved and mostly act with compassion unlike the pessimistic popular general opinions on human behaviour. 

What made me to write a review of this book

   The extreme level of Positivism. As an admirer of Mahatma Gandhi I could relate to views of author with the Mahatma's.  He quotes Gandhi and Martin Luther King in one place. 

   The news (both electronic and print) is a mental health hazard and major source of all negative perception according to the author. Is the world getting worse or better? Most believe that it is worse off now than in earlier periods. In Rutger's view opposite is the truth.  As I noted earlier that this postive outlook is similar to Rosling's views in his famous book Factfulness. Rosling tries to prove this perception using statistics by comparing the world situation now and before 200 years. Here we will see some of the points upon which the author Rutger Burgman tries to prove his ultra positive opinions about humanity. 

      "Humans are born sinful - according to the Christian belief 'original sin' and from the very early days there was this notion of evil nature of humans. 

     Enlightenment philosophers also hold the same view ..All men would be tyrants if they could - John adams.

     We are descendants of endless series of murderers - Freud"

     All the above are the conventional views on humans. Standing up for human goodness is a big challenge for anyone who tries to present a totally different perception, says the author. He also says that the powerful fears this view and many people consider this view as naive, obtuse. It is very easy to be a cynic, to be a prophet of doom. This age old conventional cynical view on humans is to be changed now and it is time for a new realism, to be hopeful for a better tomorrow according to the author.

      Writer jeyamohan talks on the same lines about human positivity. Even during the outbreak of major disaster like Covid pandemic, Jeyamohan didn't try to shed his positive views on humanity. I decided to buy this book after reading a reference about this book in Jeyamohan website..Like Dr Hans Rosling, author Jeyamohan is also a strong votary of positive action with strong belief in fellow humans. He never misses opportunity to espouse this, in his writing, speeches or in discussion forums. 

     From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs. Contribute & receive according to ability and needs .. This is communism, broadly speaking.

    But the author says that most of us practice everyday communism - in public places, hotels, houses etc. we share and take our due ..our lives are filled with communist acts & these normal civil acts by people are presented as "Communism everyday"  by the author. This may be unacceptable to a diehard communist but it is a good point to ponder over.

     A  study says non violent campaigns are more successful than violent ones. 50 percent to 26 percent. On average eleven times non violent struggles are more successful.   

    Give us power or else all is lost - Hobbes

    Give us liberty or all is lost - Rousseau

Profound impact - these two have. Who is right? The book discusses.

     In about 50000 years Humans got weaker., more vulnerable feminine and infantile. Still homo puppy conquered the world. How come? Human sociability is the reason.

     .There is no evidence to suggest that hunter gatherers were War mongering..

     Why and how Nazi German soldiers fought inspite of horrible idealogy or at some stage , a losing battle. Friendship is the main reason, according to a study among German P O W s in Paris. They didn't want to let down their mates.

      So Monsters were also motivated by the goodness in humanity.

       It is well known that Camaraderie is the weapon that wins wars.

       So Enemies are not malicious but are just like us ... Applies even to terrorists ...it is just that they are easily swayed by others and act violently.

 Babies' sense of morality 

   Another 2007 study at Yale infant cognition centre concludes six months infants can differentiate between good and evil and right and wrong. All children behaved favouring good toys in a puppet show. So homo puppy is not born blank slate. There is Inherent good quality in it, we may say.   

    Author quotes experience of PFD model to share wealth among needy citizens in alleviation of poverty. PFD - Permanent Fund Dividend. It was tried out successfully in Alaska for reducing poverty within Alaska. This was not the usual not so successful model like Welfare state concept whereby all and sundry are distributed money wasting precious resources of the state. The author explains the model and advocates it for others. Here in the model everyone contributes and has also a share.

  Author gives out real life examples of Dynamic security of prison reforms tried out in Norway. He shows how it was diametrically opposite to that American system. Norway reduced number of crimes substantially and Crime rate increased exponential in US by following hard unfriendly methods.

"Punishment injury...men don't improve by injuries" -- George Bernard shaw..

     Contact is the solution to all hatred and prejudices and Travel is fatal to prejudice bigotry parochialism, narrow ness of mind. Need to realise that we are all okay if we are all different. No one needs to lose identity. These are all important takeaway lines in the book. 

    Christmas truce 1914 had almost ended first world war. There were signs of world war ending and the soldiers in both the camps developed mutual understanding & sang together. But leaders didn't let that happen, according to reports available now, says the author. This news is not a rumour but a fact and the author asks if soldiers who during bitter wars can come together why not us now. During peak war period many Soldiers were covertly friendly and exchanged letters too. And the Generals and politicians leaders were not.

    Power corrupts but humans are hardwired for kindness and not war.

    Homo puppy - innately friendly decent but leadership and power corrupts.

 Lie and deceit for power - machiavelli

    In the world of power, it is the survival of the shameless..As you become more shameless and deceit you become more successful and if the names of any of today's politicians come to mind, I am not responsible for it.

     Humans are not wired for war and the Leadership stops peace from erupting any time among people. It is just that humans are hard wired to be kind. Most of them are truly decent . These are remarkable conclusions of the author Rutger Burgman.

To conclude the author says...

Assume the best when in doubt..

Compassion is needed not empathy, feel for them not with them.. Compassion doesn't sap energy, empathy does..