225. Michel Bauwens - What's next? Commons, the pulsation of the commons, technology and cosmolocalism
Michel Bauwens (Substack and X) is a thought leader and researcher in the space of commons. Also the founder of the P2P foundation. We speak of the state of the commons, dive into the pulsation of the commons, the rise and fall of civilizations, and much more. Michel makes a beautiful argument for why we are currently moving towards a time when communities will again steward commons in ways that has not been deemed efficient for some time and why the state+market structure we are currently in is crumbling under it's own weight. Enjoy! Host: Amit Paul
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What if we are currently in the process of forming a new form of civilisation?
Brilliant Michel Bauwens from P2P Foundation visited the World of Wisdom 🎙️Podcast EP225. We spoke of the commons and oriented ourselves in where we currently are in terms of the rise and fall of civilisations.
🌆 We've progressed through tribal - market - state as fundamental types of civilisation and we are now at the cusp of being able to realise one of mutual collaboration. Michels deep interest in the rising interest of the commons, this time technology facilitated gives space for hope!
🚀 Cosmolocalism as an orientation. Everything that is light is shared. What is heavy should be used locally. This is not what we are doing today in the dominant system. The commons is a way of mutualising and when we mutualise we need less stuff, less complexity and less resources. As Michel puts it: "I’m not sure we’re getting more energy but we are getting a lot more information."
🌱 "If you’re attached to the current system then it’s very hard to be optimistic but if you’re looking at the seed forms[...]" Therefore capacity for vertical transcendence - ways of coping as well as horizontal transcendence - ways of looking to the emerging future is important.
This conversation is absolutely fascinating. It provides a very different perspective of what is also going on right now. I deeply recommend Michels substack and the archives of the P2P foundation where there is a wealth of research and resources to be found. Enjoy!
(Link in bio or World of Wisdom Podcast wherever you find your podcasts. EP225.)
AI Summary
Summary
In this conversation, Amit Paul interviews Michel Bauwens about the concept of the commons and its role in society. Bauwens explains that the commons is a shared resource maintained by a community or group of stakeholders according to their own rules of governance. He emphasizes that the tragedy of the commons is actually a tragedy of the uncommons, as true commons are self-managed and protected. Bauwens also discusses the pulsation of the commons throughout history and the shift towards a new form of organization based on peer-to-peer coordination and mutual cooperation. He highlights the importance of extending the social contract to the whole world and creating a new social contract between humanity and the non-human world. Additionally, Bauwens explores the potential of crypto and blockchain technology in supporting commons-based institutions and translocal cooperation. The conversation explores the shift from a commodity-centric value regime to a contributory value regime. It discusses the need to value care, protection of the environment, spirituality, and learning as primary values. The emergence of peer production communities and the recognition of public goods as value are highlighted. The conversation also touches on the exploitative nature of capitalism and the potential for a new cycle of social organization based on regeneration and preservation of planetary health. The importance of relocalizing production, mutualization, and the role of AI in a human-centric way are discussed. The conversation concludes with examples of seed forms that are sprouting, such as the Sarafu Network in Kenya.
Takeaways
The commons is a shared resource maintained by a community or group of stakeholders according to their own rules of governance.
The tragedy of the commons is actually a tragedy of the uncommons, as true commons are self-managed and protected.
There is a pulsation of the commons throughout history, with periods of enclosure and privatization followed by reemergence and protection.
The shift towards a new form of organization is based on peer-to-peer coordination and mutual cooperation, creating a fourth sector that integrates market dynamics with commons-based institutions.
There is a need to extend the social contract to the whole world and establish a new social contract between humanity and the non-human world.
Crypto and blockchain technology have the potential to support commons-based institutions and enable translocal cooperation. The value regime is shifting from a commodity-centric to a contributory value regime.
Care, protection of the environment, spirituality, and learning are primary values that need to be recognized.
Peer production communities and platforms like Ethereum are recognizing and valuing public goods.
The current extractive capitalism is exploiting human cooperation.
There is a need for a new cycle of social organization based on regeneration and preservation of planetary health.
Relocalizing production, mutualization, and using AI in a human-centric way are important strategies for the future.
Examples of seed forms that are sprouting include the Sarafu Network in Kenya.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction and Background
10:43 Understanding the Commons
26:35 Reevaluating the Tragedy of the Commons
35:23 The Shift in Value Regime
45:40 Relocalizing Production and Mutualization
59:21 Examples of Seed Forms: The Sarafu Network in Kenya