In Moral Ambition, Dutch historian Rutger Bregman identifies a profound "waste of talent" in contemporary society, where the brightest minds are often trapped in unfulfilling corporate careers—what he terms "bullshit jobs"—that serve little social good. He proposes an antidote: the pursuit of "moral ambition," defined as the will to be among the best in the world, but measured by contributions to solving existential problems like climate change, poverty, and future pandemics rather than by salary or title. Bregman argues that our current definitions of success are not only unfulfilling but actively harmful to the planet, and he calls on talented individuals to reevaluate their paradigms of impact.
The work moves beyond mere idealism to offer a pragmatic guidebook for taking action, emphasizing that "doing good" is a learnable skill that requires a combination of an activist's idealism and an entrepreneur's ambition. Bregman is critical of "awareness raising" and good intentions that do not lead to measurable results, asserting that one becomes a good person specifically by doing good things. By highlighting pioneers who have already shifted their careers toward high-impact fields, the book aims to build a movement of builders and problem-solvers who choose the path of contribution over accumulation.
Moral ambition is the will to be among the best, but with different measures of success. Not a fancy title, fat salary, or corner office, but a career dedicated to the best solutions to the world's biggest problems.
Moral Ambition supports the Sacred Canopy of Care by providing a "moral compass" that rejects the false comfort of the status quo, urging individuals to reclaim their agency and anchor their life's work in the restorative needs of the collective whole.