In June 2003, Rob Mather, who had graduated from the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom and Harvard University in the United States and was working as an executive at a British global media company, happened to watch a documentary. It told the story of Terri, a young girl who suffered severe burns over her entire body after a fire broke out in her home due to her mother's mistake. Unable to shake off thoughts of Terri, Rob decided to swim across the 35.4-kilometer English Channel to raise funds to help her. The charity swimming event, which began with two friends joining in, drew more than 10,000 people from 73 countries over the following months. After raising enough money to support Terri for the rest of her life, Rob set his next goal as fighting malaria, which claims the lives of about 3,000 children every day. The "Swimming the World Against Malaria" event held in 2005 drew more than 250,000 people from 160 countries. Rob and his foundation grew into the world's largest malaria-fighting charity.
The author, a Dutch journalist and thinker, focuses on the stories of ordinary people like Rob who change the world for the better. In his previous work "Humankind," which was translated into 46 languages worldwide and sold more than 5 million copies, the author broke the conventional belief that humans are selfish and argued that human nature is good. In his new book "Moral Ambition," he goes a step further, arguing that individuals with "moral ambition" should change the world.
"Moral ambition" is a concept contrasted with "selfish ambition," which pursues high salaries or stable status. The author says, "Moral ambition is the will to dramatically improve the world." It means a determination to dedicate one's career to solving the great challenges of the era, such as climate change, extreme inequality, social corruption, and pandemics.
The author points out that in modern society, the smartest people are wasting their talents on work that holds little social significance. Indeed, one Facebook employee captured the reality, saying, "The best minds of our generation are thinking about how to make people click ads." The author says the world would have been better had people with ability and talent, such as lawyers, consultants, and financiers, dedicated their lives to more valuable work that contributes to society. As a representative example illustrating this problem, he presents Ralph Nader, who graduated from Harvard Law School, felt disgust at the typical success track of legal professionals, and transformed into a consumer activist. He is a person who personally practiced the "moral ambition" the author describes.
Most people think that while "moral ambition" is a fine value, it is a story far removed from themselves. But the author stresses, "It is never too late to pursue moral ambition." He then sheds light on how the small actions of ordinary people change society, citing concrete examples.
During World War II, nearly 100 Jews hid in Nieuwlande, a small village in the Netherlands bordering Germany. Later research revealed that almost all residents who were asked to hide Jews accepted the request, and they in turn asked others for help. The act of protecting Jews spread throughout the entire community like a virus. In particular, some "super spreaders" encouraged hundreds of residents to take action. The author says, "Moral ambition is not inborn but contagious."
Through the stories of small heroes who changed the world, the author shakes the paradigm of success we have taken for granted. He presents a new perspective that the standard of success is not wealth and fame but social meaning and influence. Of course, the author's argument may feel idealistic. Society needs not only innovators who change the world but also people who quietly fulfill their responsibilities in their own places. Nevertheless, the author's question—asking us to reconsider where we will use our own talents and influence—leaves a deep resonance. "Many people still have a long way to go and haven't even come close to the boundary of moral ambition. So the message is clear. Stop wasting talent and create change."
404 pages, 22,000 won.
