Playful thoughts #5: Spontaneous Order from an absence of traffic lights

in #philosophy7 years ago

This is a reflection on the road traffic videos I saw on youtube. The videos show that in the absence of traffic lights people naturally adjust their behavior to deal more efficiently with traffic situations.

It is an interesting micro-cosmic example of how order can emerge spontaneously from individuals who are acting in their self-interest and who do not intentionally try to create a planned order. This spontaneous order is, in my opinion, analogous to an anarchist society where culture and morality emerge through an evolutionary process that is beyond the understanding of human beings. The videos have reminded me of the Taoist concept of "wu wei" (non-action) and Laozi's following saying in the Dao De Qing:

I will do nothing (of purpose), and the people will be transformed of themselves;
I will be fond of keeping still, and the people will of themselves become correct.

Rulers are hence discouraged from trying to centrally coordinate the people through a multitude of self-made laws and regulations if they wish to create harmonious societies. I strongly believe that man is mentally incapable of designing such a society, because society itself is the result of the interactions of innumerable human actions that no one, unless he is omniscient, can fully understand.

Other examples where spontaneous orders arise are in language and the free market. Man could not have designed a language with such great complexity and refinement as ours through centralized conscious interventions. Likewise, as Milton Friedman has famously stated in his analogy of the pencil, not one single person can make a pencil. However, still we have been able to produce pencils due to the emergence of a spontaneous productive order.


If you enjoy reading this article, please consider following me. I mainly write about philosophy, economics, and my travels.

Follow me @chhaylin
E-mail: chhaylinlim@hotmail.com
Wordpress: www.chhaylinlim.wordpress.com
Sort:  

Thanks for sharing.

You're welcome :)

Fascinating video.

I think one reason this may work so well is that the game-theory encourages all parties to work together, in so much as the results for everyone are improved. This isn't a zero sum change (removing traffic guidelines) - everyone benefits at no real cost to large demographics (maybe the blind?)

It would be interesting to see this on a larger societal scale, but the game theory changes with things like criminal regulations which do become zero- or even negative-sum games for all societal participants.

Yes, I'm curious of it as well. It's worth experimenting more with these types of game theoretical situations.

I think you're right that criminal regulations would lead to zero- or even negative-sum games. Fortunately though, spontaneous order will most probably incentivize human beings to set up their private court systems, protection agencies, and criminal regulations. :)

We could both lower taxes and increase focus on real problems like criminal regulations if we weren't diverting resources to thing like traffic violations and civil asset forfeiture!

Hi @chhaylin how did you insert a video? Is it possible to upload your own video?

Yes, just copy a link from youtube. I normally upload my own video on youtube first after which I copy the link here.

I see. Thanks for the tips! 🙂

You're welcome :) I'm happy you like it

Congratulations @chhaylin! You have completed some achievement on Steemit and have been rewarded with new badge(s) :

Award for the number of upvotes received

Click on any badge to view your own Board of Honor on SteemitBoard.
For more information about SteemitBoard, click here

If you no longer want to receive notifications, reply to this comment with the word STOP

By upvoting this notification, you can help all Steemit users. Learn how here!

That's an honorable achievement. I'm happy. You've made my day. :P

So true, with centralized ruler who dictate what to do and what is not. The natural connection of human being to each other will be cut off.

:) Yes, I agree.

Awesome post thanks for sharing

Thank you very much!

Good stuff. Thanks for sharing

Thanks, man! :)