The Cooperation Science Network

The Cooperation Science Network is a group of scholars spanning many disciplines who come together to understand the fundamental principles driving cooperation and the forces that can compromise it.

The CSN does not endorse only one definition of cooperation, but some useful perspectives include defining cooperation as situations where one individual provides a benefit for another, or defining it quite literally as 'co-operation,' i.e., working together toward a common goal.

Cooperation happens in many systems and consciousness or intentionality is not required.

Cheating and exploitation can undermine cooperative groups. In small groups this challenge can be managed through simple rules like leaving uncooperative partners. But, as groups get larger, it becomes more challenging to detect and respond to cheating. Thus large cooperative groups require sophisticated cheater detection and suppression systems to be viable. Among humans, institutions can help to regulate cooperation

Many of the challenges of the present - including resource management, disaster response and even productive political processes, require cooperation among diverse actors. By studying cooperation across systems, we gain knowledge that can help us support human cooperation, enhance it, and protect from malicious actors.