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I used to think this way too. My outlook on life transformed when I found out about this amazing concept: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collective_action https:
by velcrovan 2y ago
I used to think this way too. My outlook on life transformed when I found out about this amazing concept: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collective_action https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collective_action
- pfdietz 2y agoBut you see, the marginal benefit of individual action is always low, even if there are others that are collectively acting. It pays to defect and let those other people do the job.
- wizzwizz4 2y agoThat's easily resolved by being a kind of person who experiences empathy involuntarily, and finds it hard to ignore injustice let alone participate in it. This makes defection more expensive than cooperation.
- pfdietz 2y agoNo, that doesn't easily resolve it. Resolving it would require everyone else (or, at least, a large fraction of them) to be like that. This is basically solving social problems by imagining humanity is other than it is. The only way to solve collective action problems in the real world is via coercion. That is, government.
- wizzwizz4 2y agoI can think of several other approaches. Duty, honour, artificial incentives, constructive competition… People do work together without being forced to, you know.