Disputation arenas: Harnessing conflict and competitiveness for society's benefit

Abstract

Society has thrived in the modern era due to two seemingly contradictory traits: individualism and accountability. In the new wired age, the internet has the potential to enhance these traits. New technologies like the internet could improve the mutual and reciprocal criticism that is unavoidable even by elites, making the internet a great tool for creating a fifth arena, similar to science, courts, democracy, and markets in its potential for harnessing human competitiveness instead of suppressing it. However, today’s internet lacks good processes for drawing interest groups out of virtual enclaves to arenas where their ideas can be tested and useful notions absorbed by society. This concept of a disputation arena can help mitigate this current shortcoming by allowing adversaries to come together for fair confrontation, under rules that foster fair competition without squelching righteous passion. A new style of debate that takes place in these disputation arenas by establishing meticulous and extended appraisal of a topic moderated by neutral and rigorous individuals, may lead to better criticism, refinement of arguments, elimination of flaws in proposals, and credible enforcement of rules through reputation. – AI-generated abstract.