Foundation
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Foundation

Young%20academic%20Hari%20Seldon%20arrives%20at%20Streeling%20University%20%40%20Trantor.

Young academic Hari Seldon arrives at Streeling University @ Trantor.

The wicked problem: How to minimize harm caused by a dying Empire ?                 

The minimalist program

Two%20Foundations%2C%20The%20Mule%20%26%20Gaia.

Two Foundations, The Mule & Gaia.

Asimov-Seldon's Plan unfolds as follows:

establish one Foundation at the outskirts of the known Universe (Terminus)

1st Foundation 's Power base: trade, engineering, industry, diplomacy

establish the "hidden" meta-controling Foundation at the Star's End (actually University itself ;)

2nd Foundation's Power base: psychology, statistics, mental abilities

Gaia ...

The Plan is a direct application and extension of Olivaw/Demerezel's "minimalist program" defined as follows: "intervene as little as possible, but exactly when necessary, to keep history on track".

Central problem of roboethics

Trevize frowned. "How do you decide what is injurious, or not injurious, to humanity as a whole?"

"Precisely, sir," said Daneel. "In theory, the Zeroth Law was the answer to our problems. In practice, we could never decide. A human being is a concrete object. Injury to a person can be estimated and judged. Humanity is an abstraction."

Moral & Method

In Foundation, the Minimalist Program is the method and the Zeroth Law is the ethical justification: both permit limited, often invisible harm or manipulation in the present to protect & preserve biosphere’s long-term survival as a Whole.