The death of John and Alicia Nash on 23 May brought attention to game theory and the Nash Equilibrium, which offer insights into resolving the problems of today’s world.
As The Economist succinctly says: “In the real world of less-than-perfect competition, a “Nash equilibrium” may well be stable, but not optimal.” Game theory shows that competition yields a sub-optimal stability, which can only be enhanced by cooperation.
Today we live in a world where resource constraints are not just widening the chasm between “haves” and “have-nots” but are destroying the fabric of nature upon which all life depends. Human consumption is reducing access to clean water, land and air, is eliminating species and people increasingly rely upon junk (food, fashion and stuff) to prop up our confidence.
The way to reverse the destruction of the biosphere is to reduce consumption which can only be achieved with a cooperative approach to resource allocation. At the root of this cooperation must be the sharing of technology which allows efficient production and allocation of food, clothing, housing, energy.
A cooperative approach is not a bureaucratic approach, it is not mechanical and it can not be maintained with laws. Cooperation is founded on a culture of empathy which engenders trust which reduces enterprise overheads. The root of a the solution to resource constraints is in cultural maturity.
John Nash showed this scientifically half a century ago. Many others have shared the same wisdom over the centuries, but have been drowned out by the confidence of political and economic ego.
TOGITV: Stag hunting – thoughts on John Nash and social cooperation
The Mereon Legacy: A Mereonic perspective on John Nash: Cooperation vs. Competition
Wikipedia: Nash Equilibrium
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