If you are an optimist about the capabilities of other people to overcome corruption, evil and injustice in this world, then this also means that you believe resistance and fighting back are worthwhile. This imposes an obligation to act.
What makes us so eager to believe in our own corruption? Why does the veneer theory (that humans submit to evil without thinking) keep returning? I suspect this has a lot to do with convenience. In a weird way, to believe in our own sinful nature is comforting. It provides a kind of absolution. Because if people are bad, then engagement and resistance aren’t worth the effort.
Belief in humankind’s sinful nature provides a tidy explanation for the existence of evil. When confronted with hatred or selfishness, you can tell yourself, ‘Oh well, that’s just human nature’. But if you believe that people are essentially good, you have to question why evil exists at all. It implies that engagement and resistance are worthwhile, and it imposes an obligation to act.
Humankind: A Hopeful History by Rutger Bregman
Read more in the Review: Humankind: A Hopeful History by Rutger Bregman
A hopeful history of humanity? During the time of COVID, climate change and mass animal extinction? However, there was a kernel of hope within me that really wanted for this concept to be true. This book delivers exactly what it says on the cover, it painstakingly uncovers the potential that humans have for creating love and beauty, instead of war and destruction. It’s superb and I recommend it wholeheartedly!
Content Catnip 