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There’s something RIGHT with human nature, says historian Rutger Bregman
Season 1 · Episode 51

There’s something RIGHT with human nature, says historian Rutger Bregman

There’s only one problem with the widely-held belief that humans are fundamentally amoral and selfish, says Dutch historian RUTGER BREGMAN: it’s rubbish. His new book Humankind: A Hopeful History argues that the record shows humanity’s superpower is it...

The Bunker – News without the nonsense

May 21, 202029m 39s

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Show Notes

There’s only one problem with the widely-held belief that humans are fundamentally amoral and selfish, says Dutch historian RUTGER BREGMAN: it’s rubbish. His new book Humankind: A Hopeful History argues that the record shows humanity’s superpower is its unique aptitude for altruism and co-operation. He tells Andrew Harrison why everything from Lord Of The Flies to the story of the Blitz is teaching us to draw the wrong conclusions about the human race – and explains who benefits from spreading the myth of human selfishness.


  • “Catastrophes bring out the best in people”
  • “Individual humans are not all that smart or strong – but we can cooperate on the level no other species can match.”
  • “The idea that most people are pretty decent is actually a revolutionary idea.”
  • “Cynicism is a form of laziness.


Presented and produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.


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