[p2p-research] CoLiberation

[Paul B. Hartzog]

Although I never coined 'coliberation' (which I love)
I DID make the case a few years back
that there are kinds of cooperation that
1) constrain you
2) but enable new possibilities
and that if the benefit of the new possibilities outweighs
the cost of the constraint, then the two parties are "liberated"

The key is in understanding that they were ALREADY BOUND beforehand,
but that they were bound to a system in which they did not cooperate.

Again, it is a choice between being constrained/empowered by what you
are doing now,
vs.
being constrained/empowered by doing something else (cooperating).

To make the point I used TCP/IP but any language will work.  It goes like this:

BEFORE inventing a language that enables communication, two parties
occupy a "space of possibilities."  AFTER inventing a language that
enables communication, the two parties occupy a NEW space.

The crucial point is that communication DOES NOT simply mean that they
can now cooperate on things that they were already doing individually
before (like farming).  What it means to be in a NEW space, is that
now they can contemplate, design, and execute things that were not
even considerable before, and which would never have even been thought
of (like building cities).

To make THAT point, I have used symbiosis of plant roots and fungi.
It is NOT the case that the fungi were doing their thing, and so were
the tree roots, and they teamed up to do it better.  Symbiosis enable
the new tree/fungus hybrid organism to consider utilizing (eating)
resources that were not even possible before.  For example, now the
fungus can metabolize a substance for the tree that the fungus itself
would never have metabolized before (because it had no use for it),
and the tree can do the same for the fungus.  It's only in combination
that they see the new resources.

An economic example would be producing a product for which you have NO
use, simply so you can trade it with someone who DOES want it, for
something that you want, that they are producing and do not use
themselves.  (Globalization has brought this to the fore, as factories
produce items purely for export to regions of the world other than
where the factory is located).

hope that helps,
-p




On Dec 27, 2007 6:56 AM, Michel Bauwens <michelsub2004 at gmail.com> wrote:
> Dear friends,
>
> I would like to promote the work of Bernie DeKoven around CoLiberation, and
> the associated facilitation techniques.
>
> The reason is the following, see the quote below but in short: I think it is
> the name for the active ethical principle behind p2p work, equipotentiality
> being its ontological principle. See also then below for a few extra links
> on this work.
>
> http://www.p2pfoundation.net/Coliberation
>
> ""If we accept Equipotentiality as the basic worldview and principle
> explaining peer to peer dynamics, then Coliberation is the active ethical
> principle derived from it.
>
> "It signifies both the shared transcendence of the group, and the practice
> of designing social processes so each of us can be the condition and enabler
> of the other participants reaching their highest potential."
> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> From: Bernie DeKoven < bdekoven at gmail.com>
> Date: Dec 26, 2007 11:25 PM
> Subject: Re: thank you
> To: Michel Bauwens <michelsub2004 at gmail.com>
>
>
> My dear Michel,
>
> You are right, of course, about Barcamps, Unconferences, etc. I am somewhat
> in touch with Chris Messina and keep a toe in the business door through my
> writing in Coworking. Here, in fact, is an article of mine you might find
> relevant, and amusing -
> http://www.majorfun.com/news/2006/11/25-technography-revisited.html
>
> Yes again - "everything depends on the whims of that one person who claims
> enlightenment." I was in such a boat myself (more of a row boat than a sail
> boat) when I founded the Games Preserve ('71-'81). It has taken the world at
> least 30 years to get me to understand the error of that particular way.
>
> A couple of articles that I think are particularly relevant, re The
> Well-Played Game, are this one - http://www.deepfun.com/community.html - on
> "The Fun Community" (originally I called it the "Play Community" - but, as
> you know, I'm finding "fun" to be a better, humbler, more approachable word.
> You might also find this  -  http://www.deepfun.com/theater.html - of use -
> at least in terms of the forces that led me to where I apparently still am.
>
> I am thoroughly enjoying this dialog, Michel, and look forward to its
> continued unfolding.
>
> Also, please see this - http://www.deepfun.com/2007/12/coliberation.html -
> let me know if you'd like any corrections, elaborations....
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Bernie DeKoven
>
> http://www.deepfun.com
> http://www.majorfun.com
>  http://www.junkyardsports.com
> http://www.coworking.com
>
> AIM: majormajorfun
>
> 223 Avenue G
> Redondo Beach, CA 90277
> 310 792 7227
>
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>
>



-- 
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http://www.panarchy.com
PaulBHartzog at PaulBHartzog.org
PaulBHartzog at panarchy.com
PHartzog at umich.edu
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The Universe is made up of stories, not atoms.
                 --Muriel Rukeyser

See differently, then you will act differently.
                 --Paul B. Hartzog
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