The Moloch Problem | Destructive Forces From Competition

from Mere Mortals Conversations · host Kyrin Down & Juan Granados

Call it what you want (Malthusian trap, prisoner dilemma, race to the bottom, coordination failure, tragedy of the commons), the problems are real!In Episode #488 of 'Musings', Juan & I discuss: the concept of the Moloch problem (a philosophical idea that explores the unintended consequences of competitive behaviour), over-scheduling children's activities to the race for social media status, the silly idea of a dollar auction, how rational decisions can lead to suboptimal outcomes, uneffective philosophy & whether any of this is actually a problem.Very sad puppy this week, send in a boost to show some support!Timeline:(00:00:00) Intro(00:01:49) Defining the Moloch Trap(00:06:18) Examples of Moloch Problems(00:12:36) Origins and Philosophy of Moloch(00:22:00) AI & the Race to the Bottom(00:27:38) Boostagram Lounge(00:29:27) Critique of Moloch and Theoretical Philosophy(00:40:32) Effective Philosophy and Real-World Application(00:50:56) Conclusion and Final Thoughts(00:58:40) V4V Connect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/Discord: https://discord.gg/K99e8fysBnTwitter/X: https://twitter.com/meremortalspodsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcastsValue 4 Value Support:V4V: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/supportPaypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcast

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This episode was published on August 6, 2025.

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