Philosophy
One of the interesting aspects of social interactions is that our interests are not always aligned with those of other agents, and when the result of an interaction is a function of your choice and that of someone else whose motives may be different from your own, you face a dilemma... what to do?
Well, you kind of know what you'd like to do, but you also know what he'd like to do, and you know that he knows what you'd like to do, and so you think about what he's going to think you're going to do, so you try to anticipate that by doing something else, except that he probably realizes you're going to try to cheat him, so he's going to try to get you before you get him, lather, rinse, repeat ad infinitum and you're not one step closer to figuring out what to do.
One of the fascinating and paradoxical implications of trying to rationally maximize your own utility function is that, when confronted with certain scenarios, such as the famous prisoner's dilemma, and by virtue of pursuing your own individual interests, you end up screwing yourself more than if you simply decided to cooperate. Oh, but it's never that simple. Anyway, here's a basic introduction to the idea of the prisoner's dilemma:
Now, you may think that because you now understand how this dilemma works, you could beat it if you were to find yourself in such a scenario, but as Dilbert shows, that's not quite right (which is exactly why such scenarios are so interesting and why so many academics in all sorts of disciplines have devoted so much of their time to think about and research such cases):
In political philosophy, one of the most famous instances of a philosopher recognizing the nature of these interactions was Thomas Hobbes, who argued (a few centuries before game theory was actually invented... isn't it awesome how philosophy is so often way ahead of its time?) that the way to solve these problems is to make sure there is some sort of mechanism to enforce cooperation.
Hobbes' particular solution was that all rights should be transferred to a sovereign who would have a monopoly on power (and the violence that could be inflicted on defectors), but as the following absolutely brilliant and gripping game-show example demonstrates, there can be other ways to ensure cooperation:
Was that brilliant or what?!?
- Thomas Hobbes - Leviathan
Political philosophy is tough business. One of its aims, for instance, is to understand how to balance the interests and rights of individual citizens with those of the state of which they are a part. Another has to do with figuring out the basis for...
- The Old Moral Dilemma Question With A Twist And Additions
Adding the virtual element to an old ethical question makes the issue more complex and as I see it incomplete. The decision to kill one or five must be drawn to a conclusion...the results of the death[s] must be virtual too in all of its anatomical gore....
- Experimental Philosophy...will It Work?
"Experimental Philosophy Opens New Avenues Into Old Questions" by Jeff Harrison March 17th, 2011 UA News UA philosophy professor Shaun Nichols examines the notions of free will and determinism through test methods used in social sciences. Philosophers...
- Statistics And Human Morality
Statistics does have a significant role in physics but I would exercise caution when applying statistical models to actual human behavior. Profiling can be incorrect. "Statistical Physics Offers Insight Into Moral Behavior" by Miranda Marquit May 6th,...
- Goldman Sachs And Social Incentives
Can the following be applied to the current revelations of the unregulated financial activities of Goldman Sachs...or is this just a simple matter of greed? "To build a cooperative society, is it better to punish or reward?" by Lisa Zyga April 19th,...
Philosophy
The Prisoner's Dilemma
Well, you kind of know what you'd like to do, but you also know what he'd like to do, and you know that he knows what you'd like to do, and so you think about what he's going to think you're going to do, so you try to anticipate that by doing something else, except that he probably realizes you're going to try to cheat him, so he's going to try to get you before you get him, lather, rinse, repeat ad infinitum and you're not one step closer to figuring out what to do.
One of the fascinating and paradoxical implications of trying to rationally maximize your own utility function is that, when confronted with certain scenarios, such as the famous prisoner's dilemma, and by virtue of pursuing your own individual interests, you end up screwing yourself more than if you simply decided to cooperate. Oh, but it's never that simple. Anyway, here's a basic introduction to the idea of the prisoner's dilemma:
Now, you may think that because you now understand how this dilemma works, you could beat it if you were to find yourself in such a scenario, but as Dilbert shows, that's not quite right (which is exactly why such scenarios are so interesting and why so many academics in all sorts of disciplines have devoted so much of their time to think about and research such cases):
In political philosophy, one of the most famous instances of a philosopher recognizing the nature of these interactions was Thomas Hobbes, who argued (a few centuries before game theory was actually invented... isn't it awesome how philosophy is so often way ahead of its time?) that the way to solve these problems is to make sure there is some sort of mechanism to enforce cooperation.
Hobbes' particular solution was that all rights should be transferred to a sovereign who would have a monopoly on power (and the violence that could be inflicted on defectors), but as the following absolutely brilliant and gripping game-show example demonstrates, there can be other ways to ensure cooperation:
Was that brilliant or what?!?
- Thomas Hobbes - Leviathan
Political philosophy is tough business. One of its aims, for instance, is to understand how to balance the interests and rights of individual citizens with those of the state of which they are a part. Another has to do with figuring out the basis for...
- The Old Moral Dilemma Question With A Twist And Additions
Adding the virtual element to an old ethical question makes the issue more complex and as I see it incomplete. The decision to kill one or five must be drawn to a conclusion...the results of the death[s] must be virtual too in all of its anatomical gore....
- Experimental Philosophy...will It Work?
"Experimental Philosophy Opens New Avenues Into Old Questions" by Jeff Harrison March 17th, 2011 UA News UA philosophy professor Shaun Nichols examines the notions of free will and determinism through test methods used in social sciences. Philosophers...
- Statistics And Human Morality
Statistics does have a significant role in physics but I would exercise caution when applying statistical models to actual human behavior. Profiling can be incorrect. "Statistical Physics Offers Insight Into Moral Behavior" by Miranda Marquit May 6th,...
- Goldman Sachs And Social Incentives
Can the following be applied to the current revelations of the unregulated financial activities of Goldman Sachs...or is this just a simple matter of greed? "To build a cooperative society, is it better to punish or reward?" by Lisa Zyga April 19th,...