Cooperation,more formally speak is how the components of a system work together to achieve the global properties.In other words,individual components that appear to be “selfish” and independent work together to create a highly complex,greater-than-the-sum-of-its-parts system.Examples can be found all around us.The components in a cell work together to keep it living.Cells work together and communicate to produce multicellular organisms.Organisms form food chains and ecosystems.People form families,gangs,cities and nations.Neurons create thought and consciousness.Atoms cooperate in a simple way,by combining to make up molecules.Understanding the mechanisms that create cooperating agents in a system is one of the most important and least well understood phenomena in nature,though there has not been a lack of effort.
However,cooperation may be coerced (forced),voluntary (freely chosen),or even unintentional,and consequently individuals and groups might cooperate even though they have almost nothing in common qua interests or goals.Examples of that can be found in market trade,military wars,families,workplaces,schools and prisons,and more generally any institution or organisation of which individuals are part (out of own choice,by law,or forced). Cooperation,more formally speak is how the components of a system work together to achieve the global properties.In other words,individual components that appear to be “selfish” and independent work together to create a highly complex,greater-than-the-sum-of-its-parts system.Examples can be found all around us.The components in a cell work together to keep it living.Cells work together and communicate to produce multicellular organisms.Organisms form food chains and ecosystems.People form families,gangs,cities and nations.Neurons create thought and consciousness.Atoms cooperate in a simple way,by combining to make up molecules.Understanding the mechanisms that create cooperating agents in a system is one of the most important and least well understood phenomena in nature,though there has not been a lack of effort.
However,cooperation may be coerced (forced),voluntary (freely chosen),or even unintentional,and consequently individuals and groups might cooperate even though they have almost nothing in common qua interests or goals.Examples of that can be found in market trade,military wars,families,workplaces,schools and prisons,and more generally any institution or organisation of which individuals are part (out of own choice,by law,or forced).