Minimum Viable Superorganism

Kevin Simler · 11 Feb 2016

Kevin Simler did not write this page.

Every claim below was made in this piece, quoted word for word and numbered in the order the piece makes them, so you can read it there rather than take our word for it. The sentence above each quote is our reading of the claim, not their wording. Each quote was checked against a stored copy of the page at build time; where the two differ, the quote is the fact.

Our reading
Every failure of collective action, including climate change, is caused by the free-rider problem.

Their wordsEvery failure to take collective action, every tragedy of the commons - including global climate change - arises because of the free-rider problem.
Our reading
A person powerful enough to dominate a group alone will exploit it rather than lead it cooperatively.

Their wordswhenever one man is strong enough to rule by himself, he's better off expropriating his subjects rather than cajoling them to work together.
Our reading
A group holds together when its members grant social status to whoever advances the group's shared goals.

Their wordsIndividuals should grant social status to others for advancing the superorganism's goals.

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