Infinite Games

Borrowed from James Carse, infinite games are activities played to continue play rather than to win and end the game. Unscarcity casts the Frontier as an infinite game: pursuits like interstellar exploration, curing aging, or understanding consciousness have no terminal victory condition.

Framing ambition this way channels competitive drives into open-ended creativity instead of zero-sum hoarding. It also reframes purpose post-survival: meaning emerges from joining projects that outlast individuals. Merit allocation prioritizes contributions to these enduring challenges.

The lens contrasts with capitalism’s finite logic of accumulation and exit. It aligns with modern research on intrinsic motivation and mission-driven innovation (e.g., open-source projects, fundamental science).

References

• UnscarcityBook, chapter1
• James P. Carse, “Finite and Infinite Games” (1986)
• MIT Sloan Management Review, “Infinite Play in Strategy” (2021)