Nationalism vs. globalism: A talk with Professor Yuval Noah Harari

A very interesting discussion with Professor Tuval Noah Harari on the future of the humankind. Professor Harari is one of the foremost thinkers alive today. He has written two international bestsellers on topics that few experts feel confident to write about. Sapiens: A brief history of humankind tells the story of the homo sapiens from the time, around hundred thousand years ago, when they were not even the most important human species on earth, to the present while Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow is about humanity's future on this planet.

Professor Harari argues that nationalism is an idea whose time has passed. It served most of the mankind well but now it has no solutions to the complicated problems that the humanity faces today. Whether it is climate change, technological disruption or genetic bioengineering, nationalists have no answers so they simply deny that these problems exist or just do not talk about it. Professor Harari contends that other (more global) loyalties have to come and not replace nationalism but co-exist with it, if humans have to survive in the form they are now.

About identities, Professor Harari expounds, "Identity is always problematic because identity is always based on fictional stories that sooner or later collide with reality. Almost all identities, I mean, beyond the level of basic community of a few dozen people, are based on a fictional story. They are not the truth. They are not the reality. It's just a story that people invent and tell one another and start believing. And all identities are extremely unstable."  

Professor Harari explains that nationalism is a lot less deadly than before. We do not have many armed conflicts between nations. Even in the 20th century, millions died for nationalism, but it is hard to imagine it can happen today. For all the talk about the rise of nationalism in the Western world, its power today, according to Harari, is "far, far smaller than a century before." However, nationalism hinders our way in solving problems that are immense and immediate. If humans do not change their focus, things can unravel fast. He says, "One of the things, I know as a historian is that you should never underestimate human stupidity. It's one of the most powerful forces in history."