Utopia for Realists

Rutger Bregman's 2017 manifesto challenges conventional wisdom about poverty, work, and human nature by drawing on historical examples and contemporary research. The book argues that seemingly utopian ideas—universal basic income, a 15-hour work week, and open borders—are not only desirable but economically feasible and historically precedented. Bregman traces how these concepts have been marginalized by 20th-century ideology and demonstrates their practical benefits through case studies ranging from the Dutch welfare state to experiments in Kenya and Finland.

The work synthesizes research from economics, psychology, and history to make the case that scarcity mindset and fear-based policymaking have prevented societies from adopting evidence-backed reforms. Bregman argues that human nature is fundamentally cooperative and that poverty itself—not laziness or moral failing—is the primary barrier to flourishing. The book became influential in policy circles and popular discourse, particularly around universal basic income advocacy, and helped revive serious discussion of radical welfare reforms in mainstream media.