Stewarding Our Commons for the Infinite Game of Research

Abstract

Citizens of democratic societies have come to be in a situation in which they are much more likely than before to connect only to like-minded people and to have little desire to talk to people who think differently. This fragmentation makes all of us prone to take offense at the views or life choices of others, to label them as deviant or ignorant, and then to feel righteous about discounting their views. Living in a democratic society can be described, in James Carse's (1986) words, as an infinite game–a game that we play to be able to continue playing it.