Utopia for Realists & Humankind by Rutger Bregman - 2 Book Set Collection

This two-book set brings together Humankind and Utopia for Realists by Rutger Bregman. Across both titles, Bregman questions assumptions that influence public debate, policy and everyday life, drawing on ideas associated with Western thought, from Machiavelli and Hobbes to Freud and Dawkins.

In Humankind, he sets out the case that treating people as fundamentally good can be both realistic and revolutionary, while expecting the worst can have harmful consequences for politics and economics. In Utopia for Realists, he considers ambitious ideas for society that he presents as practical, noting that changes such as the end of slavery and the start of democracy were once dismissed as unrealistic, and discussing proposals including universal basic income and a fifteen-hour work week.

Included titles

• Humankind
• Utopia for Realists

Key details

• Two-book collection
• By Rutger Bregman
• Includes Humankind and Utopia for Realists
• Engages with ideas referenced across Western thought
• Considers how assumptions shape politics, economics and society

Synopses

Humankind

This book examines the long-standing belief that people are naturally selfish and motivated by self-interest, a view it links to headlines, laws and Western thinking. It argues instead that assuming people are good can be realistic as well as revolutionary, and suggests that expecting the worst of others can bring out the worst in politics and economics.

Utopia for Realists

Bregman explores the idea that society can be organised around visionary proposals that are also implementable. He points to historical milestones once dismissed as utopian fantasies and discusses concepts including universal basic income and a fifteen-hour work week.

The book also references examples such as a Canadian city described as having eradicated poverty and Richard Nixon’s near implementation of a basic income for millions of Americans, presenting a journey through history beyond traditional left-right divides.