How Science can Enable a More Cooperative Future
Why do people fight with each other in situations where it makes absolutely no sense? Why do we still have war, poverty, and other social ills, despite the fact that no one wants these things? It is just human nature? Why do these problems remain so difficult, despite all the other advances society is making? Will future technology help?
This “big think” course will ask fundamental questions about the nature of science, psychology, economics and politics, through the lens of understanding the tradeoff between competition and cooperation. We will study mathematical models of this tradeoff, like the Prisoner’s Dilemma, and connect with evolutionary theory. We will examine the psychology of motivation, and optimism vs. pessimism about the “human nature” debate.
The thesis is that technological change increases the value of cooperation and decreases the value of competition. This gives us an unprecedented opportunity to redesign our institutions so that they cooperate rather than compete with their constituents. The key advances of artificial intelligence and personal manufacturing (3D printers) will soon make it possible to end the material scarcity that prevents us from developing the culture of empathy, cooperation, and rationality that we need for the future. We will examine alternative designs (and welcome yours!) for the economy, government, education and justice systems.
Come save the world with us!