Utopias for realists

What are the big ideas today? Historical progress has almost always been based on utopian ideas: Just 100 years ago, no one would have believed that slavery could be abolished or that democracy could truly exist. But how do we address the challenges of the modern workplace, family life, and the entire global framework? Dutch thinker Rutger Bregman states, "The true problem of our time is not that we are doing poorly or that we might fare worse in the future. The real problem is that we cannot imagine anything better." We must dare to think the impossible, for only then can we find solutions to the problems of our time. Bregman makes it clear why a universal basic income is a viable option and how a 15-hour workweek can be a response to the digitalization of work. For Bregman, "there is no alternative" is not an option; even poverty can be eradicated, as he demonstrates with the example of a Canadian city. Bregman's visions are inspiring, and his energy is contagious; he shows that utopias can become reality faster than we think.