Agency: The Psychological History of Human Progress

Agency: The Psychological History of Human Progress - Hardcover

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Agency: The Psychological History of Human Progress
  • Agency: The Psychological History of Human Progress
Agency: The Psychological History of Human Progress - Hardcover

Agency: The Psychological History of Human Progress - Hardcover

by Martin E. P. Seligman
$37.80
$37.80

Book Overview

by Martin E. P. Seligman (Author)

From the world's most influential psychologist and bestselling author of Flourish, a landmark work spanning ancient Greece to the age of AI that identifies agency--the fusion of efficacy, optimism, and imagination--as the hidden engine of human progress, and shows how we can unleash it to build a better future.

What actually drives human progress? Ecologists point to geography and climate. Sociologists invoke wars and class. Economists follow the money. But none of these accounts explains why innovation and human thriving occurs in some eras and stalls in others--often under identical material conditions. The missing variable, Seligman argues, is the psychological state known as: agency.

Agency is built from three interlocking capacities: efficacy, the confidence that you can accomplish a specific goal right now; optimism, the expectation that your efforts will pay off far into the future; and imagination, the breadth of goals you can envision. When all three align, civilizations leap forward. When they collapse, societies stagnate--no matter how rich their resources or how brilliant their citizens.

Drawing on six decades of pioneering research and a sweeping reexamination of the last twenty-five hundred years--from Periclean Athens and the Hebrew Torah to the Renaissance, the Enlightenment, and the Civil Rights Movement--Seligman reveals how surges and declines in agency have quietly steered the course of history. With a clear-eyed look at an AI-transformed future, Agency makes the case that the power to create the next great era of human flourishing is already alive within each of us.

Author Biography

Martin E. P. Seligman is the most influential psychologist in the world (Academic Influence) and a professor at the University of Pennsylvania, where he directs the Positive Psychology Center. A former president of the American Psychological Association, he earned his BA in philosophy from Princeton and his PhD in psychology from Penn, and holds ten honorary doctorates. His research--from learned helplessness to learned optimism to prospection--has reshaped how science understands human well-being. He is the author of more than thirty books, including Flourish, Authentic Happiness, The Hope Circuit, and Tomorrowmind.

Number of Pages: 400
Dimensions: 1.6 x 9 x 6 IN
Publication Date: September 08, 2026
ISBN9781982190644
Author Martin E. P. Seligman
PublisherSimon Element / Simon Acumen
GenreHistory and Self-help & personal development
FormatHardcover
PublishedSeptember 2026
LanguageENG- English
Pages400
Weight1.0 lb
Target AudienceAdults
Print SizeStandard Print

Related Subjects

History Nonfiction Psychology

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More by Martin E. P. Seligman

Authentic Happiness: Using the New Positive Psychology to Realize Your Potential for Lasting Fulfillment

Authentic Happiness: Using the New Positive Psychology to Realize Your Potential for Lasting Fulfillment - Paperback

Authentic Happiness: Using the New Positive Psychology to Realize Your Potential for Lasting Fulfillment - Paperback

By Martin E. P. Seligman

About Martin E. P. Seligman

Harvard Business Review is the leading destination for smart management thinking. Through its flagship magazine, 13 international licensed editions, books from Harvard Business Review Press, and digital content and tools published on HBR.org, Harvard Business Review provides professionals around the world with rigorous insights and best practices to lead themselves and their organizations more effectively and to make a positive impact. Visit hbr.org. Follow @HarvardBiz on Twitter; find us on Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, and Google+.Author social media/website info: Twitter: @HarvardBiz; hbr.org; Facebook: @HBR; Instagram: @harvard_business_review

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