The Penguin and the Leviathan

5/1/2022

What motivates us as a species? Is it selfishness or is it our innate cooperation and altruism? In "The Penguin and the Leviathan", Yochai Benkler challenges traditional thinking about human behavior and argues that cooperation and collaboration are just as fundamental to our nature as self-interest. Drawing on a fascinating array of real-world examples, from open-source software development to Wikipedia, Benkler reveals how various forms of collaboration can lead to more efficient and equitable outcomes. He shows how businesses, governments, and social organizations can harness these dynamics for better decision-making and problem-solving. This thought-provoking book offers hope for a brighter future by identifying a way forward that emphasizes cooperation, rather than the individual pursuit of self-interest.

cooperation ꞏ self-interest ꞏ social systems ꞏ altruism ꞏ human nature ꞏ collaboration ꞏ economics ꞏ political science ꞏ civic virtue ꞏ collective action ꞏ behavioral science ꞏ game theory ꞏ social change ꞏ organizational theory ꞏ sociology ꞏ psychology ꞏ ethics ꞏ common good ꞏ trust ꞏ mutual aid