Daniel Schmachtenberger

Daniel Schmachtenberger is a social philosopher, cultural commentator, and polymath focused on addressing the converging existential and catastrophic risks, collectively referred to as the metacrisis. These risks include AI, nuclear, biotech, and biosphere destruction, which he examines through an interdisciplinary lens. Schmachtenberger highlights how these global risks not only interact but can also amplify one another, emphasizing their shared root causes [citation needed]. His public discussions often center on the importance of improving epistemic rigor, or "sensemaking," in an era where society's capacity to discern truth is deteriorating [citation needed].
Approach to Civilization Design
Schmachtenberger is deeply interested in the concept of civilization design but criticizes traditional top-down approaches. His website, civilizationemerging.com, reflects his belief in the importance creating the conditions for emergence rather than rigid design principles. 
Initiatives
In 2021, Schmachtenberger founded The Consilience Project, which aimed to bring academic-level epistemic rigor to journalism while remaining accessible to mainstream audiences [citation needed]. In 2024, he launched the Civilization Research Institute, a think tank devoted to studying existential and catastrophic risks on a global scale [citation needed]. He is also a co-founder of the Neurohacker Collective, which focuses on developing products that enhance cognitive function [citation needed].
Education
Schmachtenberger attended Body Mind College and Maharishi International University, where he studied counseling, psychology, and mathematics [citation needed]. Since then he has continued independent study as an autodidact [citation needed].
Early Life and Activism
Schmachtenberger was homeschooled in an educational model closely aligned with unschooling, influenced by thinkers such as Buckminster Fuller and Fritjof Capra. He describes his childhood education as highly experimental, emphasizing self-directed learning, which fostered his lifelong love for learning [citation needed].
As a teenager, Schmachtenberger became involved in environmental activism, initially working to protect elephants from poaching. His focus later shifted to rhinos, only to find that poachers who had abandoned poaching elephants moved on to threaten the rhinos which were even more endangered. This experience led him to explore the root causes of poaching, particularly poverty, and eventually to focus on broader systemic issues that underlie global scale problems[citation needed].
Defining the Problem Space
Schmachtenberger refers to a quote attributed to Albert Einstein: "If I had an hour to solve a problem, I’d spend 55 minutes thinking about the problem and 5 minutes thinking about solutions" [citation needed]. This philosophy shapes much of his work, as he dedicates significant attention to defining global problems more clearly. He argues that poorly defined problems are less likely to be solved, and as such, he encourages a focus on understanding the deeper causes of the metacrisis rather than rushing to implement superficial solutions [citation needed].
Sensemaking
A core focus of Schmachtenberger's work is "sensemaking," the process of discerning truth in a complex, information-saturated world. He advocates for applying rigorous epistemic practices to modern challenges, drawing from philosophical traditions like Socratic dialogue and critical thinking [citation needed]. One method he emphasizes is "steel manning," in which one fully and fairly articulates an opposing argument before offering critique [citation needed]. His broader sensemaking framework encourages individuals to:
Avoid aligning with any particular ideological camp based on pre-existing biases.
List propositions made by all camps.
Categorize them into three groups: true, partially true, and false.
Synthesize the truths from all perspectives rather than joining one camp to attack others.
Refrain from expressing certainty or sanctimony unless all viewpoints have been thoroughly examined [citation needed].
This approach aligns with established philosophical traditions such as dialectical thinking and pragmatism, but Schmachtenberger refines these ideas into a structured process for navigating today’s complex issues [citation needed].
Humanity's Phase Shift
Schmachtenberger speaks about the potential for humanity to undergo a "phase shift," where society will collapse to a lower state of order or transform into to a higher level of societal complexity. He uses analogies like a caterpillar transforming into a butterfly, suggesting that just as certain natural processes involve a complete reorganization of structure, society may be approaching a moment where it must radically evolve to survive [citation needed]. He also references Buckminster Fuller's metaphor of a chicken using up all its resources in the egg before hatching, arguing that human society may be nearing a point where it must shift to a more sustainable mode of existence or face collapse [citation needed].
The Search for the Third Attractor
Schmachtenberger frequently discusses the idea of "attractor basins," which are potential future scenarios society might fall into. He identifies two primary attractors: a collapse into authoritarianism or into chaos [citation needed]. His work advocates for finding a "third attractor," a future in which humanity evolves toward a more sustainable and harmonious form of social organization. This, he suggests, will require collective intelligence and innovative thinking [citation needed].
The Metacrisis and Generator Functions
Schmachtenberger's analysis of the metacrisis distinguishes him from other scholars and think tanks by focusing on how various global risks interact and amplify one another. He argues that addressing individual risks in isolation is insufficient, as their root causes are interconnected [citation needed]. He identifies three core "generator functions" driving these crises:
Perverse Economic Incentives: Systems that reward behavior detrimental to the collective good, such as industries that profit from environmental degradation. Schmachtenberger uses the example of forests being more valuable dead than alive in today’s economic system [citation needed].
Externalizing Harm While Internalizing Benefit: This refers to actions that benefit certain individuals or groups while offloading negative consequences onto others, often future generations or the environment. Corporations, for example, may profit from pollution while society bears the costs [citation needed].
Tragedy of the Commons: Schmachtenberger highlights the race-to-the-bottom dynamics, or to use game theory terminology, 'multipolar traps', which are seen when shared resources are over-exploited, leading to collective harm [citation needed]. 
The Psychological Drivers of the Metacrisis
Daniel Schmachtenberger aligns with Iain McGilchrist's perspective in The Master and His Emissary, which argues that a key factor contributing to the metacrisis is the cultural dominance of a separation-based mode of awareness, while a more holistic, interconnected mode of awareness has atrophied in modern society [citation needed]. According to this view, humanity has become trapped in what Albert Einstein referred to as the "optical delusion of consciousness," a condition in which individuals perceive themselves as separate from each other and from the natural world [citation needed].
Possible Solutions to the Metacrisis
Schmachtenberger has largely refrained from proposing detailed solutions to the metacrisis, but he has offered suggestions in various discussions. One example is his reference to the Manhattan Project, which he cites as a major innovation that was driven not by market forces, but by state initiative. He argues that similar large-scale, state-led efforts may be necessary to address current global challenges [citation needed].
Schmachtenberger has also raised the possibility of implementing a universal basic income (UBI) as a transitional measure. While he sees UBI as necessary, he believes it would be insufficient on its own and could serve as a stepping stone toward a new economic model that has yet to be fully realized [citation needed].
Schmachtenberger has raised concerns regarding intellectual property, questioning whether the abolition of copyright might be necessary in the long term. He argues that copyright laws can impede technological innovation by restricting the open development of new ideas and technologies [citation needed]. However, 
Schmachtenberger has also voiced concern about the potential dangers of unrestricted access to certain peer-reviewed publishing, such as CRISPR gene editing, due to the risk of misuse in the creation of biological weapons [citation needed]. This tension underscores his broader apprehension about publishing proposed solutions without thorough evaluation. He advocates for a process known as "yellow teaming," a strategy aimed at anticipating and assessing second, third, and higher-order consequences of any given solution before its implementation [citation needed]. This careful consideration reflects his focus on minimizing unintended negative outcomes in complex systems.
Schmachtenberger has pointed to the liquid democracy system employed in Taiwan as a potential model for developing new political structures, which he believes could serve as a "third attractor" distinct from traditional market or state-based systems [citation needed].
Schmachtenberger has suggested that humanity now possesses the technological capability to log and live-track every resource on Earth, potentially using algorithms to manage the fair distribution of these resources [citation needed]. However, he has also expressed reservations about artificial intelligence, particularly concerning the issue of alignment. Schmachtenberger questions how AI can be aligned with the will of humanity when humanity itself lacks alignment on fundamental issues [citation needed]. This reflects a broader concern about the risks associated with AI development, especially when it comes to ensuring its safe and ethical deployment.
One of his most significant contributions to addressing the metacrisis is his identification of underlying "generator functions" that drive many of the systemic problems humanity faces. He argues that removing these generator functions from global systems would significantly alleviate the metacrisis [citation needed]. 
Additionally, Schmachtenberger has engaged with the Web 3.0 software development community, and developers associated with Metacrisis.xyz have responded to his call to work on technology-based solutions aimed at addressing the metacrisis [citation needed].
Among the works that have influenced Schmachtenberger, Finite and Infinite Games by James P. Carse stands out. Schmachtenberger advocates for a shift from a win/lose mindset to an "omni-win" approach, where human systems evolve from adversarial competition to collaborative, cooperative frameworks. This perspective is closely aligned with the ideas discussed by the Game B community, which focuses on creating systems that foster long-term, sustainable cooperation [citation needed].
Existential Hope and Cultural Renaissance
While Schmachtenberger acknowledges the gravity of issues such as societal collapse and potential existential threats, he maintains an optimistic outlook. He frequently refers to the idea that humanity still possesses significant potential within the "unknown-unknown" realm—opportunities and solutions we have not yet discovered [citation needed]. Historical examples of collective human achievements in times of crisis offer him further hope.
Schmachtenberger's vision for resolving the metacrisis ultimately involves a cultural renaissance or new enlightenment. He believes that through improving our collective intelligence and capacity for sensemaking, humanity can create the conditions necessary for a civilizational upgrade [citation needed].
New Enlightnement Collaborators and Peers
Schmachtenberger has collaborated with other influential thinkers and organizations. For instance, he is credited with a thanks, for providing advisory input to the creators of The Social Dilemma, a popular Netflix documentary produced by Tristan Harris and the Center for Humane Technology [citation needed]. 
Other public voices aligned with Schmachtenberger's work include neuroscientist / psychiatrist / literary scholar / philosopher Iain McGilChrist, Associate Professor of Cognitive Science and philosopher John Vervake, economist Nate Hagens, astropphysicist and world champoin poker player Liv Boeree, Associate Professor of Economics Ashley Hodgson, and Game B advocate Jim Rutt.
Category:Social philosophers
Category:Polymath
Category:American people