The problem of complexification

In my last post, I summarized Joseph Tainter’s view of the collapse of numerous historical civilizations. His conclusion that complex powerful societies continue to add complexity until its net benefits become negative, which then leads to rapid decomplexification or “collapse,” is surely oversimplified as a single universal explanation, but also surely not irrelevant. We should, therefore, think about the implications for our own, uniquely hypercomplex society.

 

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