Thoughts on The Sovereign Individual
Thoughts on The Sovereign Individual
How technology will empower the individual
This is essay 2 of 7 for The Tech Progressive Writing Challenge. Join the conversation in the build_ Discord.
The Sovereign Individual predicts the impact of the rise of information technology. Published in 1997, the book hits major themes that appear to be currently playing out.
I'm about halfway through book, but I wanted to reflect on my major takeaways so far.
The Sovereign Individual tells the story of changing power structures. Like any good prediction book, it focuses mostly on history.
The authors illustrate how we transitioned from the Church to the State as the dominant institution.
At the height of its power, the Church dominated many aspects of human life. But, they ultimately lost their power. The authors make the case that the nationstate will lose control of its power just like Church.
Technology
The authors make the case that technology is one of the largest factors that will lead to the transition of power from the state to the individual (hence the title: The Sovereign Individual).
Technology - especially information technology - allows for additional freedom for individuals. The following list explains 3 ways technology grants additional freedom to the individual.
1. Increased mobility through remote work
When we can move more freely, the state treats its citizens more as customers. The better “product” the states create, the more people will enter their jurisdiction (and pay taxes). We can move more freely because of the rise of remote work and the metaverse.
2. The metaverse
With the metaverse, we can earn and connect without borders. Geography becomes less important as more of your work and relationships live in the cloud. This, like remote work, increases our mobility.
The authors note,
"As the bandwidth revolution unfolds, it will draw people more and more into the borderless virtual world of online communities and cybercommerce, a world with enough graphic density to become the 'metaverse'"
3. Store wealth outside of the state's control
When we can store our wealth on the internet outside of the state's control, individuals have more freedom. For example, you can travel the world and access your wealth from anywhere with Bitcoin.
The Sovereign Individual makes the case that technology will empower the individual. We're seeing it happen through increased mobility, the metaverse, and storing wealth online.