Hiito Sato

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The Nameraka (Smooth) Society and Its Enemies

Author	Ken Suzuki
Original title	なめらかな社会とその敵
Illustrator
Country	Japan
Language	Japanese
Subject	Social systems, technology, philosophy
Genre	Non-fiction
Publisher	Keiso Shobo
Publication date	January 2013
Pages

The Smooth Society and Its Enemies (Japanese: なめらかな社会とその敵, Nameraka na Shakai to Sono Teki) is a book by Ken Suzuki, published in January 2013 by Keiso Shobo. The book presents a vision for a new social system designed to address the complexity of modern society. Suzuki, a complex systems scientist and entrepreneur, explores the limitations of current social institutions and technologies, proposing innovative ideas for their improvement.

Overview

Suzuki's work critiques binary structures and rigid institutions in modern society, exploring the possibility of a more flexible and inclusive "smooth society." The book applies concepts from biological systems to social systems, proposing a more fluid understanding of the boundaries between individuals and society. The main theme is the question, "Is it possible to live in this complex world as it is, in all its complexity?" The book argues that to achieve this, social systems need to be updated over a 300-year period.

Key Concepts

The main concepts presented in this book are:

Smooth Society

A "smooth society" refers to a society that has diversity but does not fall into binary oppositions. The concept of "smoothness" is introduced and contrasted with traditional "step" (with clear boundaries) or "flat" (without boundaries) social structures. Suzuki explains that a smooth society is one where "everyone is a minority" because there are many intermediate states.

The book uses sigmoid functions to explain different types of societies:

• A "flat society" is uniform with no diversity, requiring strong intervention to unify values.
• A "step society" has diversity, but these diversities are separated and in opposition.
• A "smooth society" allows for diversity without falling into opposition.

PICSY (Propagational Investment Currency SYstem)

PICSY is a new monetary system where value propagates through chains of transactions. Every transaction is considered an investment, and all goods, including labor, are treated as investments. The system uses matrix calculations to determine the contribution to the entire society, which is then treated like a stock price and used as currency.

Divicracy (Dividual Democracy)

Divicracy is a new form of democracy that recognizes the multifaceted nature of individuals. Instead of democracy based on the "individual" as a unit, it is based on multiple personalities (dividuals) that exist within an individual. This system allows for votes to be divided and cast, and for voting on both policies and people.

Constructive Social Contract Theory

This concept proposes a new approach to social contracts utilizing technology. It aims to realize a more direct and dynamic social contract using technologies such as blockchain.

Content

The book is divided into five parts:

Part I: Smooth Society

This section develops the theoretical basis for applying biological systems concepts to society. It discusses the possibility of redesigning social institutions as artifacts, referencing complex systems science and autopoiesis theory.

Part II: Propagational Investment Currency PICSY

This part explains the PICSY system in detail, including its theoretical model and potential implementation challenges.

Part III: Divicracy (Dividual Democracy)

This section develops the concept of Divicracy, drawing on ideas from French philosopher Gilles Deleuze.

Part IV: Natural Intelligence

This part examines the relationship between intelligence and computation, presenting a perspective that views social systems as a kind of intelligence.

Part V: Law and Military

The final part examines the positioning of law and military in the proposed social system, including a critical examination of Carl Schmitt's "friend-enemy theory."

Reception and Influence

Academic Reception

The book has been well-received in various academic fields. Notable evaluations include:

• Shinichi Nakazawa (philosopher and anthropologist) described it as "the most promising worldview currently emerging from the philosophy of complexity."
• Masahiko Aoki (Professor Emeritus at Stanford University) called it "a stimulating attempt with great potential that rewrites the traditional stories of social science."
• Takeshi Yoro (Professor Emeritus at the University of Tokyo) stated, "This is a book I would recommend to anyone who feels there are problems in modern society."

Influence on Technology and Business

The book's concepts have influenced cryptocurrency and blockchain technology communities. Several startups, including Gaudiy and Merpay, have cited the book's influence on their business models.

Policy Impact

The book's concepts have been discussed in policy-making circles. For example, Keisuke Murakami, the Director-General of the Digital Agency, has proposed "Aiming for the 'Design' of a Smooth State" based on the book's concepts.

International Recognition

The book's influence has extended beyond Japan. It has been introduced in Chinese-speaking regions as "平滑社会" (Smooth Society). Vitalik Buterin, co-founder of Ethereum, has mentioned the book's concepts in his blog, noting similarities with the philosophy of Plurality.

Criticism and Debate

The book has also sparked debates regarding the feasibility and ethical implications of its proposed systems. Key points of discussion include:

1. Economic stability and implementation challenges of the PICSY system 2. Issues of individual responsibility and rights in dividual democracy 3. How a "smooth society" would address existing power structures and inequalities

These discussions reflect the complexity and significance of the issues raised by the book.

Editions

• Hardcover: Published by Keiso Shobo in January 2013
• Paperback: Published by Chikuma Shobo in October 2022, including a new essay reflecting on developments since the first edition

Further reading

• Suzuki, Ken (2013). The Smooth Society and Its Enemies. Keiso Shobo. Search this book on .
• Suzuki, Ken (2022). The Smooth Society and Its Enemies (Paperback edition). Chikuma Shobo. Search this book on .

External links

• Official website of "The Smooth Society and Its Enemies" (in Japanese)

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Some use of "" in your query was not closed by a matching "".Some use of "" in your query was not closed by a matching "". Complex Systems Autopoiesis Local Currency Web3 Blockchain Smart Contract Decentralized Autonomous Organization DAO Social Contract Theory Forms of Democracy New Associationist Movement Dividualism Deliberative Democracy Quadratic Voting Radical Markets Plurality PICSY Constructive Social Contract Theory Divicracy Voting Systems Liquid Democracy Direct Democracy Representative Democracy Military Strategy Asymmetric Warfare Cyber Warfare Political Systems Currency Systems Central Bank Digital Currency Complex Adaptive Systems Emergent Phenomena Self-organization Fractal Chaos Theory Free Energy Principle Predictive Coding Bayesian Inference Machine Learning Deep Learning Reinforcement Learning Cybernetics Life Systems Theory Post-capitalism Post-nation-state Digital Commons Cryptoeconomics Social Token Decentralized ID Complex Systems Biology

References

• 1. 鈴木健 (2013) 『なめらかな社会とその敵』 勁草書房
• 2. 鈴木健 (2022) 『なめらかな社会とその敵』文庫版 筑摩書房

External links

• 鈴木健『なめらかな社会とその敵』公式サイト
• 鈴木健 "【入魂1万字】鈴木健が目指す「なめらかな社会」の全貌" NewsPicks 2023/01/04

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