Unstoppable Us, Volume 1: How Humans Took Over the World

Yuval Noah Harari’s writing seeks answers to critical questions about human nature. He asks what makes humans unique and powerful and addresses the responsibility that comes with our power. Harari does not believe that Sapiens were unique from our inception as a species, instead seeing our present uniqueness as a product of centuries of evolution. His ideological approach is firmly rooted in evolutionary science. Although Harari’s book presents Sapiens as an exceptional species, he counters the religious exceptionalism of creationist narratives: those that assert that humanity was divinely created rather than produced through biological evolution. In Harari’s view, this evolutionary trajectory is essential to Sapiens’ success, particularly our ability to cooperate in large groups in incredibly effective ways. 

The framing ideology of Harari’s book presents the success of the human species as the result of inherently positive characteristics, even if this success has had some negative consequences, especially for the natural world. He identifies the definitive human skills as adaptability, cooperation, and ingenuity, which, in his argument, are driven by humans’ ability to create narratives, belief systems, and social structures—what he terms “storytelling.” The book’s exploration of storytelling is closely linked to its ambivalent presentation of religion and belief. Harari has previously claimed that religion is the “greatest human fiction,” an idea that informs the argument and ideological basis of Unstoppable Us (Gabbai, Arik. “What Makes Humans Different? Fiction and Cooperation.” Smithsonian Magazine, Feb. 2015). While Harari sees religion and belief systems—especially early belief systems—as part of the human impulse to understand the world and uphold social structures, he argues that these narratives can create and maintain social control structures and contribute to inequality and injustice. Harari’s central example of the autocratic French monarchy and its overthrow explicates his book’s ideological approach.

Overall, Harari presents a positive outlook on humanity and uses his own storytelling skills—historical analysis and rhetoric—to encourage positive change. He believes that we are inherently good, although we may do harmful things and construct stories that seek to justify hurt to others or the planet. He argues that we can instead cultivate our goodness through our storytelling and collectively act to improve our conditions and those of others. The final message of his book—a call to action for positive change—underlines his message of human potential. It concludes the book’s discussion of the exceptional size and status of the human species and its exploration of humanity’s corresponding responsibilities.