‘Cooperation in digital times’

Yochai Benkler is a major inspiration worldwide for the empowerment of citizens through the possibilities offered by the Internet. Benkler was the first thinker to recognize the innovative power of citizens who can both organise and produce via the web, in a manner that is both decentralised and cooperative. Wikipedia or open source software are just two examples of this. Benkler coined the term commons-based peer production.
In his book The Penguin and the Leviathan: How Cooperation Triumphs over Self- Interest Benkler takes issue with the dominating view of human nature as being inherently competitive and driven by self-interest, highlighting examples of what solidarity and cooperation can achieve. A new perspective that can enable citizens’ movements to become more effective, develop better technologies and reform our economic systems, etc.

Yochai Benkler is a professor at Harvard University, where he is co-director of the Berkman Center for Internet & Society. He previously taught at Yale Law University and the New York University School of Law.