I have no doubt that this book will provide a breath for
fresh air for any history and futurology enthusiast. We live in a time that
abounds with publications about the history of human civilization by renowned historians and
activists, that almost always end on a cautionary (and even pessimistic) note
about the future of humanity. I myself, having been exposed to similar veins of
literature have grown accustomed to, and conditioned to believe that as a species,
we must systemically reboot how we think about the environment, capitalism and foreign policy in order to maintain our relevance on this
planet (if there is a planet left at all) into the distant future.
Ridley surveys all stages and facets of human civilization,
including evolution, the advent of commercial activities, the industrial
revolution, innovation and trade, and critically dissects the present state of foreign aid, climate change and the environment, as well as certain
“fashionable” trends in social commentary. He nimbly and aptly maneuvers
his way not only through different time periods (the book is for the most part, a chronological
construct), but also through multi-disciplinary yet microscopic view of human
behavior.
The premise of the book is this: there is plenty of proven
data and historical evidence to suggest optimism about our species’ future survival and prosperity. Whilst
cross-disciplinary, a good proportion of the book is dedicated to the discussion of commercial history in order to elucidate and rationalize certain evolutionary phenomena. For instance,
Ridley claims that Malthus’ population theory was debunked when our ancestors demonstrated the ability to nimbly adjust our production (i.e. ebb and flow of specialization) and consumption behavior to reverse the effects of population explosion.
Ridley discusses Africa in the
context of foreign aid and economic development. His
diagnosis for advancing the African economy centers on: disempowering
central governments and empowering women (the latter deserves a lengthy reaction on its own). By limiting the central government's authority, we pave the way for a system that protects property right and encourages
entrepreneurship. Ridley cites the example of Zambia to demonstrate the potency
of market forces: the aid that Zambia received since 1960, if invested in
assets yielding a reasonable rate of return, would by now have given Zambians the
income per head of $20,000 (equivalent to that of Portugal), as opposed to what it is currently, $500. Though illustrative and hypothetical, the example reinforces the power of market forces. Africa presents an
infinite potential, not because the developed nations and stampede on their grounds and teach "them" "our" ways, but because Africa is at a vantage point where it can observe and selectively accept policies from history.
Ridley is unequivocally libertarian bent, and he is an open
proponent of free trade and market-based foreign aid programs. He is a staunch
believer of our ability to persevere even in the least welcoming survival conditions, and political and economic systems - because the history itself is our saga. He also draws our attention to the abundance of “pessimist”
literature and likens such views to Hollywood’s blockbuster doomsday
movies. Future is uncertain and any erudite scholar of human civilization is inclined to qualify
his/her their statements with warning and caution to prepare us for the future. (After all, what harm can
come out of precaution?) Ridley does
not dispute the importance of foresight and preservation, he simply represents a bold and courageous school thought, that of a rational optimist.
