Summary & commentary · Chapter 04 · PDF pp. 41–50
Human beings as adaptable and cooperative
We become what we practise together.
The proposal assumes that people are capable of cooperation. It does not assume that they always cooperate or stop pursuing their own interests.
Read the full chapter →Open original at PDF page 41Human behaviour
A possibility, not a guarantee
People can help one another and still fall into conflict. A political order has to account for both. Invoking cooperation does not answer how it should handle deception or refusal to meet common obligations. §
Rules
Trust needs reliable procedures
People working together need to understand how decisions are reached and who bears the costs. A cooperative can provide favourable conditions. Whether it does so depends on its rules and the conduct of its members. §
Critical examination
Does a cooperative view of humanity underestimate selfishness, conflict and strategic behaviour?
Deluism does not assume natural goodness. It builds on human capacity to learn and combines trust with transparency, rights and reviewable rules.