Daniel Eggers is Assistant Professor at RWTH Aachen University. His main research interests lie in political philosophy, normative ethics, and metaethics. His current research focuses on expressivism and moral sentimentalism.
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HOBBES AND GAME THEORY REVISITED: ZERO-SUM GAMES IN THE STATE OF NATURE
Article first published online: 1 SEP 2011
DOI: 10.1111/j.2041-6962.2011.00071.x
© 2011 The University of Memphis
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How to Cite
EGGERS, D. (2011), HOBBES AND GAME THEORY REVISITED: ZERO-SUM GAMES IN THE STATE OF NATURE. The Southern Journal of Philosophy, 49: 193–226. doi: 10.1111/j.2041-6962.2011.00071.x
Publication History
- Issue published online: 1 SEP 2011
- Article first published online: 1 SEP 2011
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abstract
The aim of this paper is to critically review the game-theoretic discussion of Hobbes and to develop a game-theoretic interpretation that gives due attention both to Hobbes's distinction between “moderates” and “dominators” and to what actually initiates conflict in the state of nature, namely, the competition for vital goods. As can be shown, Hobbes's state of nature contains differently structured situations of choice, the game-theoretic representation of which requires the prisoner's dilemma and the assurance game and the so-called assurance dilemma. However, the “state of war” ultimately emerges from situations that cannot be described by any of these games because they represent zero-sum games in which the outcome of mutual cooperation does not exist.