2025 - Contract - 2035

Long summary of 2025 - Contract - 2035 by Hugh Mann; with a lot of added context; Audio by Paper2Audio.

Additional context

This document proposes a broad social and philosophical framework for restructuring society, touching upon themes relevant to political science, philosophy, sociology, and even theology. It fits into a long tradition of utopian and social reform literature, where authors attempt to diagnose societal ills and propose sweeping solutions. From Plato's "Republic" to Thomas More's "Utopia" and beyond, thinkers have grappled with the ideal organization of human society. Unlike purely theoretical works, however, this document seeks to provide actionable steps and a "contract" for individuals to adopt, grounding its vision in a practical, if ambitious, framework. Current trends in social science point to rising inequality, environmental degradation, and political polarization which add urgency to the subject matters discussed within this book.

Building upon the groundwork laid by previous social and political philosophers, this document presents a specific set of principles and mechanisms for achieving a more equitable and just world. Ideas about universal basic rights, access to information, and democratic governance can be traced back to enlightenment thinkers like John Locke and Jean-Jacques Rousseau. The document also reflects contemporary concerns about environmental sustainability and the distribution of resources, building on the work of ecological economists and advocates for social justice. The Earth Share proposal, aimed at equitable empowerment, represents a novel approach to addressing wealth inequality and ensuring that every individual has a stake in the planet's resources. The discussion of decentralized governance and the use of blockchain technology for transparent decision-making also aligns with current trends in political theory and practice, exploring the potential for technology to empower citizens and promote greater accountability. However, these suggestions are not without potential pitfalls. Issues such as data privacy and security will need to be considered as these new systems are adopted.

Paper Summary: As the author, I address fellow human beings, emphasizing our shared existence and the persistent feeling of not fully understanding how to be human. The book stems from personal experiences and observations of global suffering, proposing a collective experiment for a more equitable world. After nearly forty years of pursuing individual happiness, I found it unattainable in a world structured to make billions unhappy. This realization led to the proposition of a collective experiment, outlined in this book, as a cognitive exercise and a moral proposition accessible to all, irrespective of external authority. The core idea revolves around the impossibility of individual happiness in a world designed to cause structural unhappiness for billions, advocating for a collective approach to address this imbalance. The book aims to provide a framework that anyone can test and implement, independent of governmental or institutional approval. The structure is deliberately built in three concentric layers, mirroring the 3-6-9 pattern to resonate with the human mind, including three fundamental rights, six pillars for renewal, and nine foundations under each pillar. The three fundamental rights are material security and protection, unrestricted access to knowledge, and equitable empowerment. These rights are presented as essential preconditions for human flourishing and discovery, aiming to provide the minimum conditions necessary for any human to discover "how to be". The lack of even one of these rights for any person will cause that person to spend their life surviving instead of discovering.

The experiment is structured around three fundamental rights, six pillars, and nine foundations under each pillar, forming a comprehensive framework for cognitive and moral exploration. The three fundamental rights are: material security and protection, unrestricted access to all knowledge, and equitable empowerment. These rights are posited as the minimum conditions necessary for any human being to begin the experiment of self-discovery. The six pillars represent critical domains where current global systems are failing, leading to unnecessary widespread suffering, including religion, leadership, human contract, earth, truth, and health. The book systematically examines each pillar by exposing the crisis, revealing the root cause, invoking human potential, proposing a radical principle, redesigning the system, empowering collective action, integrating practical steps, summarizing core values, and envisioning a transformed state in 2035. The nine foundations under each pillar are designed to provide a complete diagnosis, remedy, and vision, ensuring a rigorous and comprehensive approach to each domain. The detailed proposal includes the "Earth Share", a mechanism designed to transform the third right (equitable empowerment) from a theoretical concept into a practical reality. Throughout the book, personal anecdotes and experiences illustrate the author's journey and the motivations behind the proposed experiment, emphasizing that this is not merely a theoretical exercise, but a conclusion grounded in lived experience.

Before any political or social action, the experiment must function as a thought exercise within each individual mind. The readers are encouraged to approach the book as scientists evaluating a new hypothesis, involving suspending disbelief, following the reasoning step by step, and questioning the truth, necessity, and coherence of each claim. The cognitive dimension is emphasized to ensure that the proposal is thoroughly vetted within each reader's mind before any external action is considered. The ultimate goal is for each reader to decide whether the old or the new contract better aligns with the world they wish to inhabit. If the new contract resonates more honestly, the reader is invited to sign it personally, rejecting the old contract and embracing a new way of living. The act of conscious rejection is the primary "revolution" proposed, with technology, governance, and resource flows following as individuals make similar private decisions. The book seeks to shrink the moral leap required to live differently, starting with the acknowledgement that individual happiness is intertwined with the well-being of others. The central question posed is: What rules would I have to live by if I truly believed every newborn is my child, and their starting conditions affect my peace of mind? The six pillars and three rights are presented as answers to this question, derived from years of reflection and consideration. The author explicitly states that the work may be wrong in part or in whole, but insists that it is honest and rigorously applied, hoping that honesty can scale from one heart to eight billion.

Readers are encouraged to engage slowly and thoughtfully with the material, marking passages that resonate and crossing out those that do not, to create a personal map of moral and cognitive boundaries. Signing the new contract is framed as a personal act of rejecting legitimacy to a system that predetermined an individual's access to Earth's resources. The book introduces various concepts, including blockchain ledgers, sortition councils, quantum archives, psychedelic research wards, and reforestation bonds, as tools and mechanisms to support the new contract. The core of the experiment is whether a critical mass of people can shift from prioritizing individual happiness to recognizing that happiness is contingent upon fair starting conditions for all. The book aims to create a set of instructions for removing the obstacles that prevent eight billion people from asking, and answering the question of who they shall become when survival is no longer the primary concern. The book begins with poems, contracts, rights, and pillars, with the hope that honesty, once articulated, becomes contagious. The ultimate goal is a world where every child, regardless of their birth circumstances, starts with the same fundamental rights and opportunities, free to pursue their potential without the constraints of survival. The work concludes with the author expressing their commitment to this experiment and inviting others to join, fostering a shared adventure in learning how to be human together, despite disagreements.

I present a vision born from personal experiences during the war in Croatia and the challenges faced by my twin brother with epilepsy, and call for a moral democracy that reclaims our collective humanity. My experiences with war, loss, and survival have taught me that true happiness cannot be achieved in isolation, and this has led me to propose a renewed Human Contract based on three fundamental commands. Every human being, from birth, is guaranteed access to healthy food, clean water, secure shelter, comprehensive healthcare, and protection from violence or oppression. This right ensures physical, mental, and emotional survival, distributed equally in real-time, using ethical technology to adjust as populations change. Every human being has free, unrestricted access to a transparent global repository of knowledge, including history, science, and cultural truths, paired with education that nurtures curiosity, empathy, and critical thinking. This right empowers informed choices, dismantles manipulation, and unites humanity in a shared understanding of our past and cosmic destiny. Every human being, with survival and knowledge secured, has the freedom and resources to explore their inner potential, mental, emotional, and spiritual, through equitable access to Earth's wealth, opportunities, and creative platforms. This right, rooted in empathy-driven systems, ensures no one's genius is stifled by inequality, enabling all to contribute to humanity's collective purpose, from local flourishing to cosmic exploration. These principles are designed to ensure that every human being flourishes from birth to death, reflecting a sacred code of conduct untainted by greed or power, binding humanity to a shared destiny where every life is cherished as holy. Religion should exist as a personal haven, decoupled from power, leadership should be a shared flame, and human equity should be humanity's core, creating a new vision for our planet, and unlocking truth's potential.

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