alexandre steinberg

Whether I’m looking at systems made of computers, systems made of humans, or systems made of humans and computers, I look at them the same way: as systems. I look at the inputs, I run them through the system, and if none of the outputs that can be obtained from the inputs are the outputs that the people asking for the system want, then I consider it completely reasonable to describe the desired outputs as “impossible.” Apparently this reasoning is opaque to the people who most need to understand it — the people who are asking for the system. I hope the following adds some clarity to your thinking, and theirs.

A society is first and foremost a vehicle for collective investment in public goods. Public goods are the basics of a good life: healthcare, transport, education, and so on, don’t just…

…t? A jungle. Maybe a prison. Choose your metaphor. It doesn’t really matter. The point is the same: without trust, a society can’t be a society. It becomes something else entirely: a place where predators rule. If I can’t trust you, and you ca…