The systems we operate in all have different incentive systems: our business models, the social media platforms, our economy, the culture at large… And many of these incentive systems have become simplified and gamified—changing the way we view the results of our work and the goals that we hold. In this episode, I explore how the philosophy of games can help us identify when we’re just trying to “game the system” instead of taking effective action based on our own values and goals.

Resources:

• C. Thi Nguyen at the Royal Institute of Philosophy
• Nguyen on The Ezra Klein Show
• How Twitter Gamifies Communication
• What Tech Calls Thinking by Adrian Daub
• Games: Agency As Art by C. Thi Nguyen

This episode is also available in essay form.