Cognitive Republic - 2026 BUTTONS GONE?!

Here’s a quick reminder regarding the last few posts:

The Cognitive Republic is: (Öffnet in neuem Fenster)

a book-length project written online, in public, building to a full length text:

Cognitive Republic: Building Societies That Experiment, Learn, and Evolve. (Öffnet in neuem Fenster)

Animating the Cognitive Republic is the idea that nothing is inevitable – nothing – no outcome is predetermined regarding our political futures. We can choose the world we want to live in.

To kind of quote The Terminator 2: “The future's not set. There's no fate but what we make for ourselves.”

I discussed the malaise afflicting our democracies (Öffnet in neuem Fenster) in ‘The Unfinished Contract — Our Democracies Must Learn or Die (Öffnet in neuem Fenster)’ (1771 words, published on 26/11/2025, and I also described the chapters to come)

Next I discussed ‘The conventional response to our democratic malaise (interlude):- tl,dr: “let’s do some incremental tinkering”’ (Öffnet in neuem Fenster) (3183 words, 8 Dec 25).

Currently, there are about >6100 subscribers to the Cognitive Republic (Öffnet in neuem Fenster). The open rates for each piece, delivered approximately every two weeks, are hovering close to 50% (which is way above average).

Cognitive Republic - 2026

Next time, I will start to outline what a cognitive republic (Öffnet in neuem Fenster) alternative is, and how it might function, but by way of critiquing these views further (this will be around 1500 words).

After that, I will pick up further on the developing theme that liberal democracies must reinvent themselves as learning systems (deepening ‘the unfinished contract’, above; this will be around 1500 words).

What can you do?

You can become a citizen of the Cognitive Republic - just click and join. (Öffnet in neuem Fenster)

You can also give guest memberships to the ‘Cognitive Republic’ if you become a member. (Öffnet in neuem Fenster)

You can also spread the word - forward this email to anyone you think might be interested in thinking anew about our world, where we leave behind the tired ideas that are playing out again.

Cognitive Republic presents a new and dynamic blueprint for governance: one where institutions evolve, policies are treated as experiments, and national identity is continuously reimagined through a regularly updated, shared, collective memory. Drawing on insights from neuroscience, psychology, and evolutionary biology, Cognitive Republic charts a path toward a political renewal: democracy reimagined as a living, learning, adaptive system.

Be there as the next chapters unfold. (Öffnet in neuem Fenster)

My rough plan for the coming year is that about half of the posts will be outside the paywall. The other posts will be paywalled; the paywall also goes up on older posts as well.

Additionally, behind the paywall (Öffnet in neuem Fenster) will be book reviews from my book journal (I read one to two books per week, fiction and nonfiction, and write a review afterwards - I’ll be making these public); I will be developing some other ideas as well.

You can also download the Steady.Page (Öffnet in neuem Fenster) app here. (Öffnet in neuem Fenster)

Final words: Why The Cognitive Republic Matters

Unlike standard issue ‘we must save democracy’ books with visions focused on codifying norms through legal tweaks, or which tediously rehash stale arguments about right vs left or liberal vs conservative, Cognitive Republic introduces both a novel approach and a new language for thinking about democratic renewal, by leveraging the unique properties of our brains—learning, adaptation, and collective action—to their fullest and richest extent, to propel the next phase in the development of democracy.

Cognitive Republic offers a rich, scientifically-grounded vision of adaptive, democratic, governance – a ‘learning democracy’, based on neuroscience, cognitive and social psychology, evolutionary theory, and political history.

Cognitive Republic offers a new way to build resilient, experiment-driven institutions responsive to the complex, rapidly-changing challenges we face; this is a vision of democracy as a lived, functional, and fulfilling reality, not as an occasional vote at the ballot box.

Cultural Renewal: Cognitive Republic reframes national identity and collective memory as shared, evolving narratives, showing how we can create a more inclusive, creative, and hopeful civic culture, while challenging divisive ethnonationalism and populist authoritarianism.

Optimistic Vision and Engaging Narrative: More than a theoretical framework, Cognitive Republic is a call to agency and shared purpose, blending scholarly depth and compelling storytelling to inspire a wide readership—from curious citizens to change-makers—offering a new route to a flourishing democratic future for us all.

Cognitive Republic: Building a Society That Experiments, Learns, and Evolves offers a transformative vision for a future in which democracy is a vibrant, living ecosystem that learns, adapts, and flourishes. Cognitive Republic presents a new and dynamic blueprint for governance—one where institutions evolve, policies are treated as experiments, and national identity is continuously reimagined through a regularly updated, shared, collective memory. Drawing on breakthrough insights from neuroscience, psychology, and evolutionary biology, Cognitive Republic charts a path toward a political renewal: democracy reimagined as a living, learning, adaptive system. With optimism, compelling global case studies, and transformative, human-centred principles, Cognitive Republic invites us to reimagine our institutions and civic life—ushering in a resilient, inclusive future, filled with greater joy, collective hope, and the full promise of human flourishing.

Give a gift membership

The holidays are here, and if you’re scrambling for a thoughtful gift, I’ve got the perfect solution.

Give the gift of the Cognitive Republic membership! It’s quick, impactful, and doesn’t require a trip to the store: just click here. (Öffnet in neuem Fenster)