Thanks to Rao i’m now skeptical of dichotomies as well as direct sums of them. Nevertheless I dont think the social path looks (except superficially) like competition, what you want (individual , or small groups of) scientists to do , is to model other neighboring entities well enough to avoid ret(h)reading the same grooves. Max/min the exploration/resource-usage. “Waste is inevitable. Rivalry (conflict?) is optional”
[ To snowclone Thiel, play chess within, play poker without— but i have not concluded where the demarcation is]
Here I’m glad you considered angles that I did not. Lets play! (Mainly Orwell, the hypernormie reading of Founder Mode)
[2] Collison? Or are confusing irish gingers? There is some subtextual/subconscious overlap with the concept of antiheroism in catholicism —Graham Greene, in particular, maybe Eco,Alasdair MacIntyre (one of your intended audience?), tangentially,..