Yuval Noah Harari
21 Lessons for the 21st Century

I remain steadfast in my belief that the human species is not heading towards extinction and that no more or less imminent catastrophe will erase humanity from the face of the Earth or more simply from the (also) future history of the universe. I'll say more: I am convinced that humans, by their nature and constitution, made in the likeness of God according to Catholic religion (not exclusively), are infinite. Their evolution over the centuries of centuries is unparalleled for what we have been able to observe and understand thanks to studies in various fields of science. We have thus demonstrated our ability to confront and overcome obstacles of all kinds and to know how to cross boundaries that increasingly expand our horizons.

This clearly does not constitute a denial of the problems afflicting humanity, which have made human existence a "dramatic" story, even tragic at times. Nor does this optimism, if it can be called that (although I prefer to consider it as a kind of scientific expression or at least based on more or less objective considerations and within the limits of my knowledge, which certainly aren't as broad as I would like), have attributes of a denialist nature. Throughout history, humans have committed acts of unheard-of violence and have killed, enslaved, and violated in every possible way their kind, just as they have never cared more or less consciously for the ecosystem in which they live: the relationship between humans and nature, for that matter, has an ambivalent character. Generally seen as a kind of "contrast," as if, according to many, nature in the end should prevail over humans and overturn the power dynamic that sees humans pushing to overcome any obstacle, often defined as "natural," like gravity. But this contrast truly exists only on a purely theoretical plane: in fact, humans are not separated from nature, because they too are part of the "whole" that surrounds them, and their determining role is dictated by their greater awareness compared to other living species in the animal, plant world, etc.

Therefore, humans use nature: they do so functionally, even when we talk about "artifice," which we can translate as a tool. Humans use nature instrumentally for their needs, and like all "tools," they can be used in a more or less functional and more or less conscious and attentive manner to general well-being. Sometimes they can be used in a distorted way. A branch of a tree can be used to light a fire for warmth, just as it can be used as wood for the manufacture of tools or crafts or factory work; finally, it can be used as a weapon. It remains a branch of a tree, and its use is always functional, but with different consequences depending on its use.

Can we perhaps blame humans for having committed certain irreparable damages over history? Surely it is a duty to know and reconstruct historical facts, because they teach us many things about ourselves and shape our culture, as well as our ethics and morals. Humans have committed atrocious acts, as we said; slavery, the Holocaust are facts we must consider, giving us a measure of our misdeeds. In the same way, we must acknowledge them and consider them 1. as acquired and irrefutable historical facts, 2. as a "lesson" for the future and something from which to learn and avoid.

These days in Poland, the "Cop24" is held in Katowice, Poland: according to many, the diktat is simple. That is, there is no more time: climate change is irreversible, and we are too late to return to a "safe" level. But this doesn't mean apocalypse. It means finding countermeasures, systems to prevent this significant change from causing even more social imbalances than the world has had to endure so far, and to establish a future linked to a "hope" in which to believe for new generations.

The signs in this regard are negative: the negative attitude of the USA and Russia, particularly on such a relevant issue, disinterest in matters like that of migrants, as well as financial pressures, trade barriers, sovereignty... All these are themes creating states of tension and contrast at an international level and within the national borders of the individual countries, which have a violent nature and constitute a modernized form of what used to be world war or the cold war from the post-World War II era onwards.

How to navigate the many uncertainties of the twenty-first century, we are already in it now that 2018 is coming to an end, is explained in this book by professor Yuval Noah Harari, historian and essayist born in 1976, already universally appreciated for the publication of "Sapiens..." (2014) and "Homo Deus" (2016). "21 Lessons for the 21st Century" is a sort of guide, more truthfully an argumentative text than a "manual," where Harari addresses 21 topics considered fundamental among the challenges humanity will face during this century.

The themes are typical of last year's geopolitical chronicles and discussions: the collapse of liberal democracy, Donald Trump's figure, the digital world, and "fake news," the contrasts between China and the western world, the role of Islam in contemporary global society, the recalled theme of climate change, and the theme of migrants. Each is tackled in a balanced and appropriately documented manner without expressing rigid or biased judgments. Harari cites other of his articles or past works, which have come to constitute pieces of the literary work in question, as well as not failing to reference each of the sources he drew on, as an historian should. He has become a reference figure (despite his young age) in the field of essays, and with this book concludes a sort of ideal trilogy.

Apart from all considerations on his skill in arguing various topics and his correct intention of being objective, one cannot help but notice a certain underlying pessimism between the lines: the facts, what chronicles suggest, seem to justify this thought. Many times, humans question the end of the world because this seems reassuring. In essence, it would be so easy if everything ended (see "Short Cuts" by Bob Altman, from works by Raymond Carver). It would be liberating. Even the definitive consecration of a religious faith in a deus ex machina that isn't as progressive as Jesus could be, but vengeful like the god of the Old Testament. Instead, the truth is that, as in Poland these days, things could go wrong, and humanity could surpass any state of crisis and continue its existence. Nonetheless, the referenced "painful acts" and dramatic events will continue to repeat themselves and be a constant in history.