Netocracy as self-governing society

Governing is mode of making-decisions. In agrarian societies one single person – tsar, king, or emperor, has made decisions. This is Autocracy. Industrial societies have introduced representative Democracy. This is collective decision-making mechanism, which involve full spectrum of political parties, elections, and decisions are made in favour of majority. All existing forms of governing are combination of components of autocracy and democracy. Apparently forthcoming “post-industrial” society needs more sophisticated and adequate decision-making mechanism. This is Netocracy.

Netocracy is newly emerging mode of collaborative decision-making mechanism, based on digital technologies and up-and-coming decision-making networks. However this is not an electronic voting system. This is a grid or net of collaborating knowledgeable people using digital platform to make a decisions. The word “netocracy” derives from “net” (web of connections) and the ancient Greek kratos “rule” or “power” and is qualitative new stage of development of decision-making process. There is no straggle for power, ruling and opposition political parties, no professional politics, elected representatives etc. components of democracy. In foreseeable future decision-making networks will shift political parties and decisions will be made in favour of society as a whole.

Social evolution has its own course of development. Autocracy, democracy and netocracy are just one such line. It reflects the basic line of social evolution – agrarian, industrial and humanitarian societies known as civilizations. Agrarian societies are organised also in a hierarchy, which is simple and most adequate structure for governing of “one person”, and autocracy is adequate to this structure. Evolving society became more complicated and existed hierarchical structure - les sustainable and this change inevitably both: structure and decision-making mechanism. So in autocracy one person makes decisions; democracy is collective decision-making mechanism and netocracy is collaborative decision-making mechanism. Autocracy and democracy insist availability of political power to make decisions. Netocracy don’t need political power to do that. Netocrats are self-selected people around the world according their experience and expertise who organise ad hoc decision-making network to solve one particular problem.

In fact the structure of the system is proportionate to its complexity. Simple systems are hierarchical, more complicated – heterarchical, i.e. contain many interconnected sub-systems. Most complex known systems like human brain, macro-economy or Universe itself are heterarchical. Therefore, the course of social evolution is transition from hierarchical to heterarchical structure. Absolute monarchy is example for completed hierarchy. Emerging Capitalism is a step to heterarchy. It has separated political powers into executive, legislative, and judicial. The court introduced impartial and independent jury to make most important decision -- “guilty or not guilty”. Capitalism also created heterarchicaly organised free-market economy and adopted democracy as a principle in political decision-making process. Unfortunately the capitalism adopted also mechanism for distribution and redistribution of wealth, which create hierarchy. Due to its controversial nature the capitalism combined impressive economical achievements with devastating wars. The capitalism is not good or bat, it is simply segment of ongoing social evolution. Netocracy suppose to be completed heterarchy and capitalism could be considered as a bridge between hierarchical autocracy and heterarchical netocracy.

In the mean time two projects to reshape society – communism and fascism are already history. The communism fails because instead to create classless society, create a sophisticated hierarchy, resembling feudal inherited hierarchy. The fascism attempted to reshape world creating an ethnically based hierarchy, dominated by “superior” Arial race and fall miserably with enormous lost of material and human resources. Due to existed mechanism for distribution and redistribution of wealth, the capitalism generates hierarchy also and at certain point of its development begins to deteriorate. The capitalism created new power elite of oligarchs and in the aftermath of WWII emerged New World Order.

The New World Order aims to organise society in a hierarchy resembling Multinational Corporation. It already shifted democracy to corporatocracy, and straggle to achieve world hegemony. Apparently emerging financial elite tends to reshape society according their own interest and philosophy. This is a doomed attempt, because it is against the course of social evolution to heterarchy. New World Order has not any chance to do so, because society becomes extraordinarily complex and to survive it need to be reshaped in heterarchical structure.

At the present time there is a contradiction between exponential development of hi-technologies and increased vulnerability of society. This contradiction is very complicated and cannot be resolved by existing decision-making mechanism – democracy, corporatocracy or demo-corporatocracy. Because of this reason degenerated democracy inevitably will be replaced with more sophisticated one - netocracy. So, modern society is on the verge of transition from democracy or more precisely its generic form – corporatocracy to netocracy. This transition could be evolutionary and peaceful or revolutionary or bloody, but it is inevitable.

Autocracy and democracy are based on ideology – religion and politics. These are abstract ideas how society should operate. Democracy for instance insists political parties presenting entire spectrum of social ideas and economical interest, to compete among themselves to come to power and rule nations according theirs political philosophy, programs and economical interest. Netocracy is based on moral values and social science. Any emerging social problem inevitable will form a decision-making network to discus and resolve the problem. These people are not involved in politics and make decisions in favour of society as a whole, not part of it. Therefore decisions are morally based not ideologically biased. Nowadays widespread represented democracy is in process of transition to netocracy. As was highlighted above netocracy is not a universal digital voting system. Netocracy is based on collaboration of people forming decision-making network.

Example of such network is one, which creates Wikipedia. Thousands of self-selected, educated people in all fields of human knowledge, across the world collaborate and contribute in creation of single product free of charge, motivated only by high moral standard. This is first successful global project outside current political structure of society and blueprint for many others projects and networks, which will change society. Wikipedia project is not simply collaborative written cyclopedia. It is outlined how global brain and virtual mind work. Wikipedia project proof: a) the collaborative network is real, hence people could be organised and carry on collaborative tasks on digital platforms; b) such network resemble virtual global brain and mind; c) it could mature and in future could perform more complicated tasks like making-decisions and solving problems. Those types of people are emerging social class of netocrats. Therefore netocrats are self-selected knowledgeable people, forming networks and working in collaboration to make the word better place to live. Netocrats are “brain cells” of emerging virtual global mind. Hence netocracy is a social order with collaborative thinking and decision-making culture in favour of society as a whole, not particular privileged group of people or class.

In foreseeable future hundreds similar decision-making networks specialised in all areas of social activities will work in collaboration organising themselves in system resembling living social organism. Some networks will be organised in virtual brain systemizing not only existed knowledge, but will make important decisions, solve social problems, others will operate as social conscience, virtual “immune”, “digestive”, “muscle” etc systems of the future netocratic society. In short, emerging decision-making networks will shape transition of society from democracy to netocracy. Technology is simply platform for collaboration of the decision-making network and future virtual global brain & body, but real “mind and physiology” are all living people and human intelligence behind the platform.

So, the society based on virtual brain or global intellect can be defined as netocracy. Although netocracy is possible through modern technologies, crucial differences are in adopted principles. Digital technology is nothing more than platform for decision-making networks. It makes it possible as existence, but do not affect the content of the network. The netocracy is a form of a social organization and rule, based on morality as form of global consciousness and global self-consciousness as a mechanism resolving social contradictions.

Apparently problem-solving and decision-making networks, resembling the core of humane brain, will be even more complicated compare with a network dedicated to systematization of existing knowledge. The first such networks should resolve not only the problems they are created for, but number of attended organizational problems like construction and deployment of specific software agents, cognitive architecture and new generation collaborative software. Perhaps first decision-making networks will be based on already existing thousands of mailing lists, replacing email communications with collaboration, intelligent agents exhibiting some aspect of AI, such as learning and reasoning.

The organization of decision-making network resembles human brain, which also is based on above-mentioned principles. Only small number “self-selected” brain cells take part in decision-making process (associations) and they are selected according its “competence”. There is no hierarchy. Associations are temporally constellations. Decisions are made in favour of organism as a whole, not in favour of particular groups of cells or organs. The final decision is send to muscles for “implementation”.

Although decision-making networks presenting virtual brain and global intellect are most important for surviving of society, similar decision-making networks will be created on all levels of social organism resembling physiology, nerve system, muscular system, blood system etc. More likely is existed stratas or professional groups to form or be transformed into networks. For instance a decision-making network of teachers, policemen, doctors, etc. united to improve professional standards and performance. However there is principle difference. Existing social stratification are division according to social factors like status and power, the decision-making networks are based exclusively on moral values. Apparently digital platform will prevent possibilities, bad guys like criminals and terrorist to form their decision-making networks. Perhaps a special network dedicated to solve this problem resembling immune system in any living organism will be created.

Connections among networks will be more complicated than simple hierarchical subordination. The communications among decision-making networks probably will resemble association in human brain. Communications between decision-making networks and those resembling one particular social system like education, health, security etc. will resemble communication between brain and body. There is subordination, but there is no hierarchy. Netocratic society will be without political leaders, presidents, ministers, directors, celebrity icons etc. It seems to be tedious from nowadays point of view and values, but this is the prize to pay for surviving of society as a whole. All people as “cells” of social organism will be treated equally, although they could be very different.

The decision-making networks resemble virtual brain or global intellect. Each citizen on the planet with necessary expertise, background and knowledge could contribute in resolving any particular problem. The final result of discussion is elaboration of feasible model, which will be experimented and implemented accordingly. If discussed problem form two contradicting opinions, two feasible models should be elaborated and verified. The social practice will show, which one will be implemented. (See NetsMind.org) So, there is no vote and “dictatorship of the majority”, no media manipulations, no lobbyist interests.

The digital platform and interconnected domains will service not only the discussion of the issue. They will gain something as spontaneous associations of thoughts and ideas in unveiling the contradictions and possible solutions, bearing in mind all potential aspects and consequences. Hundreds servers connected in networks aiming to resolve social, economic, political, moral and many others local, national, regional and global problems. Perhaps this is something more than a virtual brain, respectively global intellect. This is truly netocratic society.

The first five qualitative transitions are objective laws therefore inevitable. The sixth factor is subjective. The shift of the ruling elite however is objective necessity. This conflict between subjective and objective factors produces the revolutionary situations. Analogous to transition from feudalism to capitalism -- the transition from capitalism to epistemism there are two roads – “French” and “British” (or revolutionary and peacefully). The political process today shows that Europe follows the peaceful road. “Exporting democracy” to countries rich in oil and other resources, USA is oriented to the revolutionary and bloody way so far.

Transition from democracy to netocracy could be peaceful and gradual. Imagine Humanitarian jury, which act as a social conscience and control political decisions. This is not political body and should be staffed by impartial citizens with high moral standard. Humanitarian juries will judge political decisions on all levels – local, national, regional and global. Only decisions approved as moral will be implemented in social practice. In long term Humanitarian jury could prepare new Magna Carta to secure peaceful transition from democracy to netocracy.

Transition on the level for making decisions -- from collective to collaborative or from social consciousness to global self-consciousness, is analogical to period of the bourgeois revolutions that gained the transition from individual to collective rule of the society. Collective decision-making process is not enough and out of date, because political decisions are ideologically biased and are made in favour of part of society. Hence it will be shifted by more sophisticated and adequate collaborative decision-making mechanism – netocracy. It is not ideological and decisions are made in favour of society as a whole. Some transitions related to globalization are already underway. For instance transition from intensive to extensive development of society has started with technological revolution. Other transitions related to netocracy just emerge.

Transition of the dominant form of social consciousness, from dominance of politics to dominance of moral and science, is one line of course of social evolution. So far the change of dominance of social consciousness is transition from mythological to religious (polytheism and monotheism); from religious to political and in foreseeable future dominated at the present political consciousness inevitably will be shifted by dominance of moral and scientific social consciousness.

Transition from one ruling elite to another or - from power elite to netocrats. People who made decisions are known as ruling elite. Nowadays elite includes elected politicians and finance barons, who own and control material resources. Normally decisions are made in favour of ruling elite. Transition from democracy (corporatocracy) to netocracy, existing elite will be shifted and replaced by new elite – netocrats. The netocrats will make decisions in favour of society as a whole. Gradually with time nowadays power elite of politicians and finance barons will perish loosing its power and functions. In foreseeable future political parties will disappear like medieval religious orders. The finance barons will resemble more or less former aristocrats and nowadays landlords and farmers.

This means the corrupted politics presented by machinery of political parties to pass away and be replaced by new decision-making mechanism resembling human brain. The existing elected parliament, as all decision-making institutions, gradually will be replaced by self-selected groups (decision-making networks) of experts (netocrats) according to any specific issue. Final decisions will resolve the problems or will become a law. In fact netocrats without mediation of politics will solve all social problems. Remember solving one particular problem the brain use only cells that is associated with this problem. In this way the system will self-regulate itself. As far as being consciousness activity we could determinate this social system as a self-ruling society. This is netocracy, which overcomes the existing hierarchy and create optimal conditions for self-regulation. This society will have contradictions, but will be without ideologies, conflicts and wars. A world governed by principles based on social science and morality; oriented to surviving of the humanity as a living organism. Nobody knows how future society will look like in details, because this entirely depends of decisions of the future netocrats, but no doubt, future society will be fair and better place to live.

As a result ideologies, religious organizations, political parties and leaders, which in our days are deeply corrupted, will become needless and with time will vanish, because the collective consciousness that they offer is inadequate to the new realities in the world. The corporatocracy will disappear and influence of the capitalists and money will be limited to “physiology” of the system – its economy. In nowadays language, the netocracy is intelligent democracy, because it is based on social science and morality.

The important question arises - do netocracy make people equal? Well, equality is a term of current economical and political system and phraseology. In foreseeable future due to transition to new social organization “equality” will change its meaning or will vanish at all. In knowledge-based society the importance of money will diminish. Perhaps notion “equality” will be replaced by “differentiation”. Let explains this point with an example. Human body is build up of around 200 different types of cells, organised in tissues, organs and systems. Human brain and nerve system take care to supply all 10 trillion cells with oxygen and food, controlling also functions of all organs and systems. Generally speaking netocracy resemble living organism. So in similar way netocratic society will include a broad spectrum of different people. All people will be equal in respect of basic needs like “oxygen and food supply” and will be very different in respect of their functions in society. Therefore it is more likely existing inequality in shared material resources to be replaced by differentiation and people will compete in achievements of preferred social functions. In this way nowadays material inequality will be shifted by spiritual differentiation. Hopefully some decision-making network, the remote successor of Forbes, will rank people according to what they contribute to society, not what they have taken from it.