Rutger Bregman
banner
rutgerbregman.com
Rutger Bregman
@rutgerbregman.com
Historian | Author of ‘Utopia for Realists’ (2014), ‘Humankind’ (2020) and ‘Moral Ambition’ (2025) | Co-founder of The School for Moral Ambition | moralambition.org | rutgerbregman.com
The biggest problem in the world isn’t climate change, future pandemics, or democratic collapse.

It’s that far too many of our most brilliant minds are working on *everything but* those problems. 🧵
July 29, 2025 at 5:23 PM
Defenders of Israels war crimes often remind us that October 7 was the equivalent of twelve 9/11s, and that therefore, Israel had no other choice.

You never hear them do the math for Palestinians, who have now endured the equivalent of at least 2,500 9/11s.
July 12, 2025 at 12:09 AM
Reposted by Rutger Bregman
Historian and author @rutgerbregman.com joins the global call to #TaxTheSuperRich.
He insists we can't accept a status quo where the richest keep getting richer while people and planet suffer. Fair taxation of the super rich is essential for a just and inclusive society.
#FFD4 #FfD4People
July 1, 2025 at 3:57 PM
Yes, this is fascism.

For years, historians and experts were cautious about using the f-word to describe today's events. But that hesitation is gone now. 🧵
June 14, 2025 at 7:13 PM
How to stop authoritarian takeovers, 6 simple lessons from history:

1. Build a broad pro-democracy coalition. No purity politics. Learn to work with people who annoy you. You can go back to dunking on them after democracy is safe.
June 13, 2025 at 12:38 AM
Reposted by Rutger Bregman
Fascinating chart from @rutgerbregman.com‘s new book about moral ambition. It seems many of the rich have an inkling that they make money doing things that provide no benefit to society.

Also, in this media era that’s immersing society in bullshit news, the journalism number is notable.
May 25, 2025 at 1:30 PM
Such an honor to sit down with David Marchese for The Interview in the @nytimes — I loved this conversation about my new book, The School for Moral Ambition, and much more.
www.nytimes.com/2025/05/17/m...
Rutger Bregman Wants to Save Elites From Their Wasted Lives
www.nytimes.com
May 17, 2025 at 11:52 PM
When the far right gets upset about the reach of your book campaign, you know something is going well :)
May 16, 2025 at 7:08 PM
Incredibly powerful investigation in Dutch newspaper NRC: Seven of the world’s leading genocide scholars — including renowned Holocaust experts — describe Israel’s actions in Gaza as genocidal.

And according to them, nearly all of their peers agree.
May 15, 2025 at 1:09 AM
Reposted by Rutger Bregman
What is "moral ambition" — and should you have more of it? Would it make your career feel a lot more meaningful?

@rutgerbregman.com thinks so. I talked to him about his new book — read an excerpt of our convo here and listen to the podcast version linked in the piece!

www.vox.com/future-perfe...
Does your job feel meaningless? Try “moral ambition.”
What if we measured success in terms of how much good we do?
www.vox.com
May 13, 2025 at 4:04 PM
Reposted by Rutger Bregman
In the latest episode of “Lives Well Lived”, we’re joined by historian and author @rutgerbregman.com for a wide-ranging conversation on moral ambition, effective altruism, and what it means to move from awareness to action.
New Podcast Release: Rutger Bregman
In the latest episode of Lives Well Lived, the podcast I co-host with Kasia de Lazari-Radek, we talk to historian and author Rutger Bregman.
boldreasoningwithpetersinger.substack.com
May 12, 2025 at 3:31 AM
Reposted by Rutger Bregman
Now on andrewyang.com/podcast historian and author of “Humankind” @rutgerbregman.com joins to talk his new book “Moral Ambition” and what he thinks people should be doing more of. Who made him feel ‘moral envy’ and what did he do about it?
May 12, 2025 at 10:17 PM
Just another day on Bluesky. Today we have a PhD researcher at the University of Amsterdam calling the Bolsheviks the 'most successful leftist organisation ever'.

Indeed, very successful at murdering millions of people.
This is obviously bait, but it should be noted that the most successful leftist organisation ever, the Bolsheviks, were characterised by 1) moral purity, 2) lack of compromise with the moderate factions, and 3) vicious infighting and call-outs in the press
I’m done with the online left. And here's why.
May 12, 2025 at 3:09 PM
Reposted by Rutger Bregman
If you want to be inspired and/or have a little cry, head over to @foylesforbooks.bsky.social on Charing Cross Road for this installation promoting @rutgerbregman.com's new book on Moral Ambition. Singled out an ambition I particularly applaud 👏
May 11, 2025 at 1:46 PM
I’m done with the online left. And here's why.
May 10, 2025 at 3:05 PM
Reposted by Rutger Bregman
In our latest “Lives Well Lived” episode, Rutger Bregman calls factory farming “the most obvious moral atrocity of our time.”

Bentham said the key question is not whether animals can reason or talk, but whether they can suffer. Today, we know that they do. (1/2)
May 8, 2025 at 10:09 PM
Jon Stewart gave me some great advice in case I ever get asked to give a graduation speech about my new book MORAL AMBITION 😂
May 7, 2025 at 3:48 PM
Reposted by Rutger Bregman
Reposted by Rutger Bregman
Factory farming is “the greatest moral atrocity of our time,” says @rutgerbregman.com in our latest Brief Encounter.

The Moral Ambition author also reveals the historical figure who inspires him most, and much more.
www.prospectmagazine...
Rutger Bregman: Factory farming is a moral atrocity
The historian and author on sympathy for entrepreneurs and what it means to be morally ambitious
www.prospectmagazine.co.uk
May 7, 2025 at 12:13 PM
Reposted by Rutger Bregman
Congrats @rutgerbregman.com on the new book Moral Ambition! And thanks for the nice note. 😀 rutgerbregman.com/books/moral-...
May 7, 2025 at 12:14 PM
Still can’t quite believe it ... but it’s happening.

Tonight I’m joining the one and only Jon Stewart on
@thedailyshow.com

Tune in! 11PM ET on Paramount Plus.
May 5, 2025 at 7:31 PM
Reposted by Rutger Bregman
Working 60 hours a week making PowerPoints that no one reads?

Rutger Bregman (@rutgerbregman.com) thinks we could use our fancy degrees to actually help people instead of making rich people richer. Crazy, right?

Find out more on the latest episode of Changed My Mind
May 5, 2025 at 11:19 AM
Just heard my new book MORAL AMBITION is officially a Sunday Times Bestseller in the UK! Thank you to all the readers who made this happen! 🙏🤩
May 4, 2025 at 5:10 PM