Game theory and the social contract - Ken Binmore

In Game Theory and the Social Contract, Ken Binmore argues that game
theory provides a systematic tool for investigating ethical matters. His
reinterpretation of classical social contract ideas within a game-theoretic
framework generates new insights into the fundamental questions of social
philosophy. He clears the way for this ambitious endeavor by first focusing on
foundational issues -- paying particular attention to the failings of recent
attempts to import game -- theoretic ideas into social and political
philosophy.Binmore shows how ideas drawn from the classic expositions of Harsanyi
and Rawls produce a synthesis that is consistent with the modern theory of
noncooperative games. In the process, he notes logical weaknesses in other analyses
of social cooperation and coordination, such as those offered by Rousseau, Kant,
Gauthier, and Nozick. He persuasively argues that much of the current literature
elaborates a faulty analysis of an irrelevant game.Game Theory and the Social
Contract makes game-theoretic ideas more widely accessible to those with only a
limited knowledge of the field. Instructional material is woven into the narrative,
which is illustrated with many simple examples, and the mathematical content has
been reduced to a minimum.