A Plurality Atlas

Plurality in Taiwan

In Taiwan the book *Plurality* is known by the Chinese rendering "多元宇宙", coined by its co-author Audrey Tang. The word spread before the book did, as the name of a "多元宇宙科" (Plurality section) set up in a new ministry in 2022, and it was criticized as hard to understand. The Chinese edition came out in July 2024.

Audrey Tang (唐鳳), one of the two authors of the book Plurality, is from Taiwan. From 2016 to 2022 she served as the digital minister without portfolio (a cabinet member without a ministry of her own), and in 2022 she became the first minister of the newly created Ministry of Digital Affairs (moda) [1]. In the book, Taiwan is portrayed as the place where its ideas were actually tried out. So how did people in Taiwan receive the book and its ideas?

In short

In Taiwan, Plurality is known by Tang's rendering "多元宇宙". Even before the book came out, the word became known as the name of a unit, the "多元宇宙科" (Plurality section), set up inside the Ministry of Digital Affairs in 2022. Opposition legislators criticized the name and Tang's explanation of it, and her explanation was even called something nobody could understand [2][3]. The Chinese edition of the book, 多元宇宙：協作技術與民主的未來, came out in July 2024 [4]. It was introduced mainly by blockchain media and reading groups. After the minister changed in 2024, the department that housed the section was renamed [5].

Taiwan's digital democracy itself (the Sunflower Movement, vTaiwan and so on) is covered in the article Taiwan's digital democracy. This article is about how the book and its ideas were received at home.

For example

The dispute over the Plurality section (September 2022). The Ministry of Digital Affairs was launched on August 27, 2022 [6]. Under its "民主網絡司" (Department of Democracy Network; a 司 is roughly a department), it placed a "多元宇宙科". In a meeting in July 2022, before the ministry was launched, Tang called this section "Section of Plurality" in English and explained that it was the opposite of Singularity (the technological singularity) [7].

After the launch, TVBS reported, the section's name even led to discussion of whether the film character Doctor Strange would be working for the government [2]. On one program, Tang compared the section's work to mobile number portability ("攜碼", switching phone companies while keeping your number): it would study standards so that large platforms can connect with one another [8]. Earlier, on September 2, Ann Kao (高虹安), a legislator of the Taiwan People's Party, had criticized Tang's explanation of September 1 as "沒人聽得懂" (nobody can understand it) [2]. Chiu Chen-yuan (邱臣遠) of the same party asked the ministry to speak in words people could understand, and not to turn the digital ministry into a "宇宙部" (ministry of the universe) [3].

The Chinese edition (July 2024). The Chinese edition was published by 堡壘文化 on July 3, 2024. A bookshop's catalog record gives an alternative title, "⿻ 數位 Plurality" [4]. The publisher advertised it as a "臺灣獨家版本" (an edition exclusive to Taiwan) and included a recommendation by former President Tsai Ing-wen [1]. The tech news site INSIDE reported on the launch event on July 20 and wrote that the Chinese edition contains much of Taiwan's experience and many full-color illustrations [9].

In more detail

The rendering "多元宇宙"

On a program in June 2024, Tang said that "多元宇宙" was the translation she had come up with at the time [10]. She said it carries two meanings.

Put "多元" together with "元宇宙", drop the repeated "元", and you get "多元宇宙". That is her explanation [10]. On the same program, Tang looked back on why the section's name was not understood: at the time, she said, the word "元宇宙" strongly brought VR (virtual reality) to mind [10].

The English edition's title includes "⿻ 數位". About "數位" (digital), the speaker Tenzin Yangtso said in an August 2026 conversation that in Taiwan "數位" also carries a plural meaning, "好多個、好幾位" (many of them, several people) [11]. → 數位

Who introduced it

One of the main channels was the blockchain media outlet 動區動趨 (BlockTempo). On January 19, 2024, its accelerator (a hub that supports start-ups), Tempo X, held a forum in Taipei with Vitalik Buterin (the founder of Ethereum) and Glen Weyl (衛谷倫 in Chinese). The article introduced Plurality as an idea for advancing collaboration around the world using new ways of thinking from Web3 and new technologies such as blockchains. It also stressed that every language edition includes the chapter on Taiwan, "玉山視野" (A View from Yushan) [12].

In August 2024 a "Plurality Summit" was held as part of the Asia Blockchain Summit (ABS). At the opening, Tang said "每當我們聽到奇點將至，記得 Plurality 已在此" (whenever we hear that the singularity is near, remember that Plurality is already here) [13]. In the closing conversation, Vitalik gave X's Community Notes as an example of "bridging" that connects people who disagree [14]. → Community Notes

There were also reading groups. At "web3 for all", a reading group held at an independent bookshop in Taipei's Ximending, Weyl himself talked about the book in early August 2024. It was the group's second session on this book, and the actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt also took part, according to the writer 黃豆泥 [15].

After the change of minister

On May 20, 2024, the minister of digital affairs changed from Tang to Huang Yen-nun (黃彥男) [6]. On November 13 of the same year, the ministry amended its internal rules and renamed the "民主網絡司" as the "數位國際司" (Department of Digital International Affairs). The explanation of the amendment says the aim was a name that fits the work the department is in charge of, in line with the law. The words "數位民主" (digital democracy) were removed from the article listing its duties, but research and development of "公民科技" (civic tech) remained [5]. These rules do not go down to the names of sections, however. When the name "多元宇宙科" disappeared could not be confirmed in the sources this site has collected.

At a parliamentary committee in January 2025, the words "民主網絡" left in the name of a budget item became an issue. Li Kun-cheng (李坤城) of the Democratic Progressive Party asked, "你們現在還有民主網路司？現在不是叫數位國際司" (do you still have a Department of Democracy Network? Isn't it now called the Department of Digital International Affairs?). According to the article, Minister Huang agreed to change the name of the budget item [16].

Tang became an ambassador-at-large on October 7, 2024 [17]. In a written interview with Germany's public broadcaster DW in November 2025, she said that she was introducing the experience of the 6-Pack of Care and vTaiwan internationally. She also expressed the view that a form of democracy based on 多元宇宙 (Plurality) is the best way to answer the challenges brought by AI [18]. → 6-Pack of Care

Taiwanese reporting on the spread to Japan

Taiwanese media have also reported on how the book spread in Japan. The business magazine CommonWealth (天下雜誌) reported that Takahiro Anno came across Tang's book 《多元宇宙》 online and was strongly struck by the idea of "廣泛傾聽" (broad listening) [19]. In an interview with the news site Up Media (上報), Satoshi Takayama, secretary-general of Team Mirai, spoke of receiving "很大啟發" (great inspiration) from vTaiwan and the government's policy proposal site [20]. → Plurality in Japan

What is debated

Common misunderstandings

Where it fits in Plurality

The book portrays Taiwan in 2-1 "A View from Yushan" and 2-2 "The Life of a Digital Democracy". The English edition writes that over the past decade Taiwan has become "the world's leading example of digital democracy" [26]. The reception in Taiwan is the response from the side that the book holds up as its "example". → 2-1 "A View from Yushan"

The title of the Traditional Mandarin edition is "多元宇宙", and chapter 3-0 is titled "何謂多元宇宙？" (What is 多元宇宙?) [27]. The rendering differs from the Japanese edition's "プルラリティ（多元性）" (the katakana "Plurality" with 多元性, "plurality", in brackets). → ⿻ Plurality

Articles to read alongside this one:

Further reading

  1. Plurality, 2-1 "A View from Yushan" (English, book) — https://www.plurality.net/v/chapters/2-1/eng/
  2. Transcript of a program in which Tang talks about the origin of the rendering "多元宇宙" (in Chinese, conversation, 2024-06-13, CC0) — https://sayit.archive.tw/2024-06-13-%E6%97%A9%E5%AE%89%E6%96%B0%E8%81%9E%E5%85%A8%E7%90%83%E4%B8%B2%E9%80%A3
  3. Transcript of the meeting in which the naming of the Plurality section is discussed (in Chinese, minutes, 2022-07-20, CC0) — https://sayit.archive.tw/2022-07-20-isabel-hou-%E4%BE%86%E8%A8%AA
  4. INSIDE's report on the launch of the Chinese edition (in Chinese, article) — https://www.inside.com.tw/article/35680-audrey-tang-plurality
  5. Amendment of the Ministry of Digital Affairs' internal rules (in Chinese, legal text, 2024-11-13) — https://law.moj.gov.tw/LawClass/LawHistory.aspx?pcode=K0010154
  6. Plurality, Traditional Mandarin edition, 2-1 "玉山視野" (in Chinese, book) — https://www.plurality.net/v/chapters/2-1/zh-tw/

Sources

  1. 堡壘文化 (讀書共和國) book page (author profile and recommendations, in Chinese) — https://www.bookrep.com.tw/?md=gwindex&cl=book&at=bookcontent&id=18790
  2. TVBS, "唐鳳解釋數位部「多元宇宙科」 高虹安：沒人聽得懂" (Tang explains the digital ministry's "Plurality section"; Ann Kao: nobody can understand it) (in Chinese) — https://news.tvbs.com.tw/politics/1895042
  3. Global Views Monthly (遠見雜誌, United Daily News), article (2022-09, in Chinese) — https://www.gvm.com.tw/article/93849
  4. San Min Book (三民書局) catalog record (in Chinese) — https://www.sanmin.com.tw/product/index/013324503
  5. Amendment of the 數位發展部處務規程 (Ministry of Digital Affairs internal rules) (2024-11-13, general explanation and comparison table of articles, in Chinese) — https://law.moj.gov.tw/LawClass/LawHistory.aspx?pcode=K0010154
  6. Ministry of Digital Affairs, "歷任部長" (Past ministers) (in Chinese) — https://moda.gov.tw/aboutus/ministers-since-2022/1527 ［CC0］
  7. Transcript, "Isabel Hou 來訪" (Visit by Isabel Hou) (2022-07-20, in Chinese) — https://sayit.archive.tw/2022-07-20-isabel-hou-%E4%BE%86%E8%A8%AA ［CC0］
  8. Liberty Times (自由時報), "多元宇宙科是什麼？唐鳳用「攜碼」比喻" (What is the Plurality section? Tang uses the metaphor of number portability) (2022-09-08, in Chinese) — https://ec.ltn.com.tw/article/breakingnews/4052196
  9. INSIDE, article on the launch event (2024-07-20, in Chinese) — https://www.inside.com.tw/article/35680-audrey-tang-plurality
  10. Transcript, "早安新聞全球串連" (2024-06-13, in Chinese) — https://sayit.archive.tw/2024-06-13-%E6%97%A9%E5%AE%89%E6%96%B0%E8%81%9E%E5%85%A8%E7%90%83%E4%B8%B2%E9%80%A3 ［CC0］
  11. Transcript, "Platform Originals：對齊的另一面" (Platform Originals: the other side of alignment) (2026-08-29, in Chinese) — https://sayit.archive.tw/2026-08-29-platform-originals-%E5%B0%8D%E9%BD%8A%E7%9A%84%E5%8F%A6%E4%B8%80%E9%9D%A2 ［CC0］
  12. BlockTempo (動區動趨), article on the Plurality forum (2024-01-23, in Chinese) — https://www.blocktempo.com/glen-and-vitalik-deliver-speeches-about-plurality-and-democrazy-in-taipei/
  13. BlockTempo, "唐鳳：Plurality多元宇宙讓世界看見台灣" (Tang: Plurality lets the world see Taiwan) (2024-08-08, in Chinese) — https://www.blocktempo.com/plurality-multiverse-lets-the-world-see-taiwan/
  14. BlockTempo, article on the closing conversation (2024-08-09, in Chinese) — https://www.blocktempo.com/vitalik-buterin-and-audrey-tang-fireside-blockchain-can-serve-as-a-sandbox-for-democratic-governance/
  15. 黃豆泥, "重混、共創、HITRECORD" (Remix, co-creation, HITRECORD) (ARTouch, 2024-08-29, in Chinese) — https://artouch.com/artouch-column/mintmint-column/content-153243.html
  16. CM Media, article (2025-01-02, in Chinese) — https://www.cmmedia.com.tw/home/articles/51631
  17. Central News Agency (中央社), "戴資穎、唐鳳等任無任所大使" (Tai Tzu-ying, Tang and others appointed ambassadors-at-large) (2024-10-07, in Chinese) — https://www.cna.com.tw/news/aipl/202410070242.aspx
  18. DW Chinese, written interview with Tang (2025-11, in Chinese) — https://www.dw.com/zh-hant/%E7%94%9F%E6%88%90%E5%BC%8Fai%E6%89%93%E6%93%8A%E6%B0%91%E4%B8%BB%E5%94%90%E9%B3%B3%E5%85%AC%E6%B0%91%E5%8F%83%E8%88%87%E5%BC%B7%E5%8C%96%E6%B0%91%E4%B8%BB%E9%9F%8C%E6%80%A7/a-74700245
  19. CommonWealth Magazine (天下雜誌), article on 未來團隊 (Team Mirai) (2026-04-20, in Chinese) — https://www.cw.com.tw/article/5140605
  20. Up Media (上報), interview with Satoshi Takayama (2026-04-04, in Chinese) — https://www.upmedia.mg/tw/international/headlines/255292
  21. Fount Media, article (2024-02-19, in Chinese) — https://www.fountmedia.io/article/209094
  22. Storm Media (風傳媒), reader's letter "唐鳳走人，可喜可賀" (2024-04-22, in Chinese) — https://www.storm.mg/article/5095094
  23. Peng Sung-yueh (彭松嶽), "G0V可以解決政府與民眾的資訊落差嗎？" (Can g0v close the information gap between government and people?) (The News Lens, 2018-12-07, in Chinese) — https://www.thenewslens.com/article/107700
  24. Jia-Wei (Peter) Cui, essay on vTaiwan (Friedrich Naumann Foundation, 2025-01-14, in Chinese) — https://www.freiheit.org/zh/taiwan/gongzhongcanyukeyiruherangrengongzhihuibiandegenghaovtaiwan-dejingyan
  25. The News Lens (關鍵評論網), book excerpt "比特幣經常被吹捧的隱私優勢，在很大程度上被證明是幻覺" (The often-touted privacy advantages of Bitcoin have largely proved an illusion) (in Chinese) — https://www.thenewslens.com/article/205567
  26. Plurality, 2-1 "A View from Yushan" — https://www.plurality.net/v/chapters/2-1/eng/ ［CC0］
  27. Plurality, Traditional Mandarin edition, 3-0 "何謂多元宇宙？" (in Chinese) — https://www.plurality.net/v/chapters/3-0/zh-tw/ ［CC0］
Related: What is ⿻ Plurality? ・ What is Taiwan's digital democracy? ・ Who is Audrey Tang? ・ What is g0v? ・ What is vTaiwan? ・ What are 數位 (shuwei) and the ⿻ symbol? ・ What is the Plurality movement in Japan? ・ Plurality in the Chinese-speaking world beyond Taiwan

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