In this chapter, we continue the theme of part 3, exploring the historical origins and movements that led to SSI and the social, political, and philosophical implications going forward. This chapter goes directly to the heart of the matter: belief systems, the overarching mental and value paradigms that define everything we do in our lives—including our technology choices and architectures. Note that this chapter lays the groundwork for understanding chapter 16, which explains the evolution of the SSI community.
Many books have been written and will be written about what belief systems are, but let us try to present a short and (hopefully) generally acceptable definition:
The belief system of a person or society is the set of beliefs they have about what is right and wrong and what is true and false.
Belief systems answer all kinds of minor and major questions of life—and thus can be quite controversial. Such questions include, “Is party A or party B good or bad for the country?” “Are you in favor of the death penalty or against it?” “Do my children need a religious education?” “Is capitalism the source of the wealth gap?”