In an October 13 SFI public lecture titled "The Penguin & the Leviathan: The Science & Practice of Cooperation," Harvard professor and author Yochai Benkler questions the centuries-old practice of managing people through rewards and punishment based on an assumption of individual selfishness. Watch the video.
He reviews examples of successful institutions – ranging from Toyota to Wikipedia – that have turned to human cooperation rather than behavior modification and control to achieve their desired ends.
He also shows how recent work in human behavioral and brain sciences and in evolutionary theory is helping us better understand how and why cooperation works.
Generous support for this SFI public lecture was provided by Los Alamos National Bank and Dr. Penelope Penland.
Listen to the KSFR Public Radio interview with Dr. Benkler (October 13, ksfr.org)
Read the Santa Fe New Mexican article about the lecture