RE: Understanding blockchain's social impact
At the "extreme left", we have absolute anarchy
Didn't humanity start of in this state of "Anarchy"? Isn't this state the basis of all social evolution that came afterwards?
Anarchy is the law of nature until now, and it has proven to be the most beneficial for all species on the planet...except humans?
these autonomous, interacting agents sharing the aim of personal betterment
I think humans always have been living and growing up in small Family like groups and communities.
When did humans every acted autonomous by them self without forming a Family or small community like structure?
When you divide responsibility, some people end up in charge of "making decisions". they get to wield power. Power becomes "centralized" in these people who the society has (more or less aptly) selected to specialize in decision making.
Yes, somebody has to make the decision. From a society stand point its only the question if all participants in this project are making their decisions based on free-will and freedom of choice or does the "Man in Power" enforces his will to other people???
I'm more for a free society where people in charge rotate and are not able to enforce their power on others.
We have experienced in the past half century the benefits of centralization. Wealth and power have accumulated in the hands of ever fewer people, of ever bigger and more dominant companies and organizations. The search for effectiveness and efficiency begets "centralization" - i.e decision-making power accrues to those best equipped - or more willing - to make decisions.
Yes, centralization has some advantages, but in the long run we recognize that our leaders have transformed into a Mafia like structures where individuals care more about their personal well being than the problems of society. Not the most competence and wise people get elected, but more of those politician within the existing power structures get elected to the top.
The abuse of Power is IMO just another symptom of the undeveloped mind and psychology structure of humans. We need to stop encouraging people that these behaviors are good things to go after. Even though we know it better, humans where not able to overcome our personal weaknesses to strive for more power, money, fame...etc... all bad human emotions and behavior have not been addressed and corrected in the past. That's why I often have the picture in my mind of an Ape with an A-Bomb in its hands. We have mastered Technology to a very high degree, but our human personal evolution is still stuck in the Stone-age. So, I would suggest to work more on the condition of the human mind to evolve the society as a whole to a new level.
I would tend to think that only genetic evolution can really work on the condition of the human mind in an authoritative way ... but genetic evolution is slow ... meanwhile, we'll have to do with the flawed humans that we are ...
Yes, genes are the major source of information for our existence. And I would think that the kind of information stored in our genes are directly connected to our experiences in life. How we perceive life and react to our environment, physical and mentally, will all reflect on the kind of information that is stored in our genes.
How can you speak of :
Have you taken an honest look at animals, insects and so on?
Tell me which species work in a social anarchistic basis. Wolves? Don't the strong become the leaders? Chimps? The same question. As a matter of fact, I cannot think of any species that do not live in this manner. Even ants and bees....
So, if I am right, then you are not asking we sort of revert to natural ways of life, but the opposite?
I think we both have different definitions of Anarchy. To me even the word "Anarchy" is man made and describes the absence of any rule of power that is made up by man. When I say that Nature is working on Anarchy basis than I mean its working without any artificial made up law. That doesn't mean that there are no power structures in certain species like you describe bees and chimps. If one chimp is stronger than the other, than that is just a fact of physical conditions, but that is not something made up by the chimps.
When bees serve their queen, than its just the rule of their genes. But humans have an intellect and the freedom of choice and don't need to follow any made up law.