The Dao of Imagination: how to envision a new social contract for a brighter future

By the keen insight of Amara’s Law, “we tend to overestimate the effect of a technology in the short run and underestimate the effect in the long run.” Herein lies a fundamental cognitive asymmetry: the linear versus the non-linear, the short term against the long term, the familiar self in opposition to the estranged others. These binaries dance in our decisions, shaping our vision and strategy.

Consider the anthropomorphisation of technology – our innate tendency to bestow our creations with human attributes. We build robots and artificial intelligence (AI) that mimic our form and functions; yet in this reflective act, we risk eclipsing the vast spectrum of non-human intelligence that thrives around us.

The flaw in our consciousness – the weakness – is not merely a philosophical musing. It shapes the societies we build, the policies we enact and the futures we dream. And when these limitations are not just inherent, but deliberately manipulated and amplified by technology, the consequences can be dire. We are surrounded by algorithms that reinforce our biases, social media that magnifies our egos and information silos that echo our narrowest views back at us – and that’s what I call the making of ‘algorithmic slavery’.

We must confront an unsettling divergence: the cognitive gap, which not only persists but widens, becoming a chasm divided along the fault lines of class, language, identity and belief. This gap does not merely separate, it polarises, creating echo chambers of ideology and fortresses of conviction that are impervious to the bridges of dialogue.

The narratives birthed from these divisions are not idle tales; they are the frontlines of a modern warfare, one fought not with cannons and balloons but with tweets and soundbites. In this warfare, an image, a phrase or a carefully crafted story can wield power to rally supporters or demonise opponents. Consider the hashtags that become battle cries, the viral misinformation campaigns that shift elections or the deepfakes that sow distrust. These are the weapons of narrative warfare, sharpened on the whetstone of cognitive gaps.

In such a world, the global cooperation necessary to address the existential challenges that we face becomes not just difficult but perhaps impossible.

The ultimate tragedy – the spectre that haunts our every decision – is the potential for planetary collapse.

Climate change gnaws at the edges of our continents, melting ice and kindling wildfires. Species vanish from the Earth. At the heart of it all is the polarisation and conflict of human values, the rift that turns potential allies into adversaries and collaboration into zero-sum competition.

The ‘Doomsday Clock’ ticks ever closer to midnight. Is there any antidote we can take to detoxicate our civilisation? The answer might not be as absurd as it sounds.

In weaving the rich tapestry of our future, let us consider the Daoist philosophy and its profound symbolism of water — an element that is soft yet strong, yielding yet persistent. The art of Wu Wei, or ‘effortless action’, encourages a form of being that flows in accordance with the natural order of things, much like water carves its path not through force but through its persistent, gentle touch.

This philosophy can profoundly inform the cultivation of our imagination. Just as water coexists with all it encounters — nourishing plants, shaping landscapes and adapting to containers — our imagination must also practice thus. In our creative endeavours, whether in art, literature, technology or governance, we must allow our imagination to flow around the obstacles of traditional thinking, to find new paths like rivulets in rock and to settle and expand like pools in a valley. And the new social contract might emerge.

To imagine a new kind of social contract, we must begin by cultivating a profound compassion for diverse values. This is not a mere tolerance but an active engagement with the kaleidoscope of human beliefs, traditions and perspectives. Compassion in this context becomes the crucible within which we can melt down the barriers of misunderstanding that fuel our narrative warfare. By fostering an environment where diverse values are not just acknowledged but celebrated, we open the door to previously unimaginable solutions to our planetary crises. Value-led investment and policymaking become a must.

To imagine a new kind of social contract, we must accept that humans will not be the only intelligentspecies on the planet. This Copernican revolution of anthropocentric perspective not only allows us to create a more inclusive and holistic modelling of the complex ecosystem but also encourages a symbiotic existence rather than a zero-sum game, brutal social Darwinism and hierarchical oppression of others. An AI with such a philosophy would be designed not to dominate but to support and enhance the natural flow of human progress and environmental balance. It would learn to ‘be water’, to adapt and change shape as needed, to cleanse and to give life, rather than to control or to take. This harmonious AI could assist us in crafting solutions that transcend binary thinking, helping to dismantle the destructive hierarchies that have plagued our species for long.

To imagine a new kind of social contract, our consensus must be rooted in the reality that our fates are intertwined and that the well-being of one is inseparably linked to the well-being of all. The ‘not in my backyard’ principle will never be an option. We must imagine a world where green policies are not seen as sacrifices but as investments in our collective future, as opportunities for innovation and growth. This new social contract would prioritise green initiatives at the policy level, incentivise sustainable practices in business and industry and cultivate a culture that values environmental stewardship as a fundamental civic duty. It would also be the cornerstone of education, by teaching our children not just the science of sustainability but the philosophy of it and by fostering a generation that not only understands the importance of a green society but also feels its intrinsic value. Our tools are not just the hard sciences of ecology, policies and economics but also the soft power of art, literature and philosophy, which can touch hearts and change minds.

As a storyteller, my conviction runs deep – and through tales spun in works like “The Waste Tide”, a novel about an electronic waste crisis and climate inequality in China, and “AI2041: Ten Visions for Our Future”, a mix of fiction and non-fiction about a human-AI symbiosis society from a global perspective – I actively craft this belief into existence.

The Dao of Imagination is not a passive daydream; it is an active force, a way of being that can lead us toward a more enlightened existence. By embracing compassion for diverse values, championing the co-existence of all beings and forging a new consensus for a green society, we align ourselves with the profound wisdom of the Gaia hypothesis. It would be a contract that recognises the Earth as a living complex system, whose health is inseparable from our own. Signed with the ink of our highest aspirations for the planet and all its inhabitants, we become not just stewards of the Earth but part of its consciousness, a planetary intelligence that can guide us toward a future where the survival of one is the success of all.

“You may say I am a dreamer, but I am not the only one. I hope someday you’ll join us. And the world will live as one. – ‘Imagine’, John Lennon

This article is derived from the author’s ‘idea-sharing’ session at Friends of Europe’s high-level State of Europe roundtable, ‘10 policy choices for a Renewed Social Contract in Europe’, held in Brussels on 9 November 2023. The views expressed in this #CriticalThinking article reflect those of the author(s) and not of Friends of Europe.