The Concept of Plurality: Exploring Its Importance in Future Social Design

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From the series: Demophronesis

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In our previous discussions, we have explored the mechanism of DeSoc (Decentralized Society) and SBT (Soulbound Tokens) proposed by Vitalik Buterin and others, along with their possibilities and challenges. Building on these discussions, this time I would like to focus on the concept of "plurality," which has been gaining renewed attention in recent years, and explore its importance in designing future societies.

Hannah Arendt's Plurality

Hannah Arendt, one of the most influential thinkers of the 20th century, placed plurality at the core of her political philosophy. She criticized the generalized abstract human image—the singular "Man" that abstracts humanity or society as a whole into a single homogeneous category—and introduced the concept of "plurality" to emphasize that each person exists with unique differences and can only appear through relationships with others as plural "men." Neither isolated individuals nor uniform members of a group, we live in the world together, each distinguished from others while sharing the "sameness" of being human and the "difference" of being unique. This fundamental condition of human existence is what Arendt referred to as plurality.

For Arendt, plurality was also the precondition for the emergence of "speech" and "action"—activities in which humans are most distinctively human—and the "public space" they create. Her criticism of totalitarianism stemmed from its destruction of plurality, its homogenization of people, and consequently, the disappearance of public space.

It's important to note that this concept of plurality is clearly distinct from both "pluralism," which normatively seeks the coexistence of different values and groups, and "diversity," which simply refers to a state where various elements coexist.

Arendt's plurality is an ontological concept that positions human existence within relationships with others. This perspective deeply resonates with the core ideas of the "relational turn" in later humanities and social sciences—emphasizing relationships rather than taking substances as given, focusing on dynamic processes rather than fixed structures, and highlighting the context-dependency of all phenomena.

Audrey Tang's Plurality

One catalyst for the recent prominence of the term "plurality" in discussions around technology and democracy was a line from a poem that Audrey Tang presented when taking office as Taiwan's Digital Minister in 2016:

When we hear 'the singularity is near,' let us remember: the plurality is here.

In this poem, Tang contrasts the concept of "singularity" (the technological singularity where artificial intelligence surpasses human intelligence) proposed by Ray Kurzweil and others, stating that the reality we are living in right now is "plurality."

Referencing Tang's blog posts and essays from that time, we can understand that for her, plurality refers to "a new form of democracy where diverse beings and values deepen mutual understanding and empathy through dialogue and technology, with citizens proactively solving complex social challenges." Specifically, it includes the following elements:

Interactive Diversity

This means not just the existence of people with diverse values and backgrounds, but a state where they actively interact and engage with each other. Tang believes that dialogical interaction between diverse actors is the key to making democracy function, and she places great importance on the interaction itself.

Coexistence Based on Empathy and Understanding

This goes beyond merely recognizing differences between different actors, aiming for coexistence based on empathy through emotional exchange and deep mutual understanding. This is distinctive in that it emphasizes emotional connections beyond the mere coexistence of opinions or positions.

Constructive Consensus-Building Capacity

This is the ability to merge diverse perspectives and emotions to find commonly acceptable solutions to challenges and important issues. Tang states in her blog that "the key to consensus building is not just knowing the best solution when facing a problem, but merging diverse views and emotions," positioning "fusion" as a core element of plurality.

Orientation Toward Social and Public Problem-Solving

Tang's conception of plurality aims to address broader social challenges beyond individual interests through social interactions and consensus-building. She positions her view of democracy as "diverse values working together on social challenges through dialogue."

Expansion of Human Relationships Through Technology

This includes the expectation that utilizing new technologies can enable broader and deeper connections and mutual understanding among people that were previously difficult to achieve. Tang actively pursues innovations in communication through technology, such as democratic deliberation using VR (virtual reality), presenting new possibilities for pluralistic dialogue.

Thus, the "plurality" used by Tang is oriented toward the institutional design of democracy through dialogue and the use of technology, and compared to Hannah Arendt's ontological concept of plurality, it can be said to be a concept with a stronger practical and normative character.

Glen Weyl's Plurality

Glen Weyl, co-author of the DeSoc paper and later co-author with Tang of "Plurality: The Future of Collaborative Technology and Democracy" in 2024, shares with Tang a practical and normative approach to plurality. However, his approach is constructed more theoretically and systematically, particularly from the perspective of institutional design and mechanism design.

Weyl's understanding of plurality can be organized as "a social philosophy aimed at diverse social groups and cultural systems cooperating with each other, coexisting and flourishing while respecting each other's uniqueness and heterogeneity." Referring to his co-authored work with Tang and the mission statement of the Plurality Institute, where he serves as Co-Chair, Weyl's plurality can be characterized by the following features:

Redesigning Democracy Through Technology

Like Tang, Weyl clearly takes the position that technology can expand the possibilities of democracy. He believes that technology can deepen dialogue between diverse opinions and overcome problems of division and groupthink that traditional democracy faces. For Weyl, plurality is an attempt to develop democracy beyond mere majority rule or popularity contests into a more inclusive and deeper forum for dialogue through innovations in institutional design and mechanism design.

Emphasis on Pluralistic Identities

Weyl does not fix individuals to a single category or community, but rather presupposes that individuals have pluralistic and intersectional identities. What he emphasizes is the idea that humans simultaneously belong to multiple different communities and social groups, and that identities are formed within those relationships and interactions. This point is influenced by Georg Simmel's social theory, noting that individual uniqueness (individuality) is realized at the intersection of pluralistic relationships (intersectionality).

Overcoming "Conflict" and "Centralization"

Weyl recognizes that modern society has fallen into two extreme tendencies: "conflict" and "centralization." The plurality he advocates presents a "third way" that goes beyond such dichotomies, where diverse conflicting groups do not simply coexist but conduct overall decision-making and social management through interaction and cooperation.

Mechanisms for Pluralistic Decision-Making and Authority Distribution

What Weyl particularly emphasizes is institutional design for democratically and fairly reflecting diverse perspectives and values in decision-making without converging to a single centralized authority or value system. Mechanisms such as Quadratic Voting and Correlation Discounting, which he proposed and which are incorporated into the DeSoc paper, are designed to adjust imbalances between different groups and positions in society, respecting minority opinions while promoting broader consensus-building.

Thus, the plurality advocated by Weyl has a strong character as a practical theory showing that it can be concretely institutionalized from the perspective of social and political institutional design and economic mechanisms. While Tang's concept puts more emphasis on dialogue and emotional exchange, basing itself on direct empathy between humans, Weyl's concept more institutionally and systematically emphasizes creating mechanisms to support diverse relationships through institutions and technology.

Vitalik Buterin's Plurality

Vitalik Buterin's conception of "plurality," like those of Glen Weyl and Audrey Tang, also shares a more concrete practicality and normativity compared to the ontological concept presented by Arendt. However, the characteristics of the plurality presented by Vitalik carry unique nuances rooted in his background in cryptoeconomics and the Web3 community.

For Vitalik, plurality is understood as "a social philosophy that encourages diverse social and cultural groups to mutually recognize and cooperate with each other beyond mere coexistence." Specifically, the following characteristics can be identified:

Emphasis on "Connections"

Vitalik points out that traditional libertarianism has underestimated the relationships and connections between communities in its emphasis on individual autonomy and freedom. His concept of plurality argues for the necessity of incorporating "relationships and connections between people" as first-class elements in institutional design, not just individuals themselves.

Adoption of a "Patchwork Worldview"

What is characteristic of Vitalik's discussion is a "patchwork" worldview that does not capture society or the world through "a single unified model," but rather uses multiple different models in parallel, recognizing that each model functions effectively in appropriate contexts. This demonstrates the recognition that any model or institutional design always has limitations, and only by operating multiple mechanisms and frameworks in parallel can the diversity and complexity of society as a whole be addressed.

Orientation Toward Institutional Concretization Using Web3 Technology

Vitalik clearly positions blockchain and cryptographic technologies, including Ethereum, as foundational technologies for concretizing plurality. For example, through mechanisms such as Quadratic Funding and Soulbound Tokens (SBTs), he concretely presents systems where diverse entities autonomously cooperate and manage and utilize common resources in a fair and democratic manner.

Overcoming Centralization and Conflict

Like Weyl and Tang, Vitalik also problematizes the two extreme tendencies that modern society tends to fall into: "centralization" and "conflict." While pointing out the limitations of the cypherpunk movement, which is the ideological source of Web3, he aims for social design that enables cooperative coexistence, not conflict or division, through the construction of internal governance rather than merely escaping from centralization.

Comparing Vitalik's concept with those of Weyl and Tang, the following differences emerge:

• While Weyl's plurality emphasizes the theoretical foundation of institutional design and mechanism design, Vitalik pursues more experimental and practical implementation using blockchain technology and cryptoeconomics.

• While Tang's plurality centers on emotional exchange, empathy, and dialogical processes, Vitalik emphasizes the flexibility of institutions and the coexistence of diverse models, orienting toward practical design and concrete prototype construction rather than theory or ideology.

  
  

Vitalik Buterin's conception of plurality has institutional and structural normativity while more clearly demonstrating a practical approach to social challenges using specific tools and models from Web3 technology and cryptoeconomics. In this sense, Vitalik's plurality stands alongside Tang's dialogue-oriented plurality that emphasizes emotional exchange and Weyl's theory-oriented plurality that emphasizes institutional design, while having its own position in its orientation toward social implementation through concrete technology.

Conclusion

As we have seen, the "plurality" advocated by Audrey Tang, Glen Weyl, and Vitalik Buterin, while each emphasizing different aspects, skillfully combines elements of diversity and dialogue, institutional design, and technology, showing potential as a practical and normative social vision.

However, on the other hand, if such a normative orientation toward a "desirable state" becomes too strong, there is a possibility that it might bias toward converging diversity into a "fusion" process of dialogue and consensus-building. It is also important to maintain a perspective that accepts the fundamental differences that each of us has and the diverse forms of relationships as they are, while respecting the reality of a pluralistic world.

"Plurality" should not aim for a single correct answer but should remain a dynamic and open process. In that sense, I believe we need an attitude that remains conscious of the essential plurality of human existence as shown by Arendt, while aiming to realize a better society through contemporary technology and institutional design.

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This article will also be posted on Medium soon.

If it resonates with you, I’d be grateful to hear your thoughts there.