The Logic of Us: Understanding Human Cooperation and Collective Action
Why do people pay taxes, follow rules, vote, conserve water, help disaster victims, or contribute to community welfare when they could simply let others do the work? And why do societies sometimes come together to solve common problems, while at other times they remain trapped in division, mistrust, and inaction?
In this talk, Dr. Zeeshan Hashim explores one of the most fundamental questions in the social sciences: what motivates people to act for the common good?
Drawing on his academic research on collective action, democracy, governance, social cooperation, climate governance, and AI governance as well as broader scholarship in economics and political science, the talk examines why cooperation emerges, why it breaks down, and why understanding these dynamics is essential for addressing today’s social, economic, and environmental challenges.
The discussion will connect these ideas to contemporary Pakistan. Why do citizens comply with some rules but not others? Why do some communities successfully organize around shared problems while others struggle? Why do some people contribute to public goods while others choose to free-ride? And how do trust, fairness, governance, and expectations about the future shape these decisions?
At a time when Pakistan faces challenges ranging from climate change and water scarcity to governance, taxation, and public service delivery, understanding the logic of collective action is more important than ever. The talk will argue that many of our biggest societal problems are not simply problems of resources or technology, but problems of cooperation. Solving them requires understanding a simple but powerful question:
When do individuals choose “I”, and when do they choose “We”?
About the Speaker:
Dr. Zeeshan Hashim is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the European Research University (ERUNI) in Ostrava and the European Research College (ERC) in London. He holds a PhD in Economics from Brunel University London, where he was awarded the Vice-Chancellor’s Prize for research excellence, an MSc in Political Economy from the University of Essex (UK), and an MBA (Finance) from NUML, Islamabad.
He is affiliated with the University of Bedfordshire as Visiting Lecturer in Economics and with Brunel University London as Honorary Research Fellow. His policy engagement includes serving as Senior Fellow and Advisor to the Executive Office at the Policy Research Institute for South Asia (PRISA), London, and as Research Scholar at the PRIME Institute, Islamabad. He has previously taught at Brunel University London and has delivered executive training for senior professionals across major oil-producing countries.
This session is free and open to all. Simply visit the venue to attend it.
The Black Hole
Plot 5H, Street 100, G-11/3, Islamabad.
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