Social Self-Organization in the 21st century: Money, information technology and consciousness

Abstract

According to Debrun (2018), the Self-Organization (SO) process requires free and spontaneous interaction between the components of a system, generating a new pattern of operation. Money is a powerful tool for social SO; its origin is closely related to the origin of the State, social classes and regulatory institutions of human behavior. In the 21^st century, development of information technology enables new forms of monetary operations and greater access to communication through the Internet, which increases the interactivity needed for SO. However, the impact of this technology does not necessarily favor the process of social SO, since monetary policies are conducted towards maintaining currency scarcity and increasing economic inequality, while the Internet is manipulated by the beneficiaries of inequality, through fake news. To overcome this situation, I initially propose the recognition, on the philosophical plane, that the meaning of money depends on consciousness (as suggested by Lietaer, 2001). Raising social awareness on concept of money and establishing social control of the State's monetary policies are central to reducing economic inequality. A hetero-organizational action, the state control of monetary flow, could establish more favorable conditions for the effectiveness of the Social SO.