ABSTRACT
The formal study of strategic interaction known as game theory is one of the most important elements in the PPE toolbox. It is no exaggeration to say that game theory is the fundamental logic at the heart of the social and behavioral sciences, and it is crucial for understanding social and political life. Game theory is the core of modern economic theory, formal models in political science, and the most sophisticated and rigorous approaches to moral and political philosophy. Game theory is also important in many of the natural sciences, especially in theoretical biology. As Herbert Gintis (2009, xiii) puts it, “game theory is central to understanding the dynamics of life forms in general, and humans in particular.” As he goes on to argue, “disciplines that slight game theory are the worse – indeed much worse – for it” (Gintis, 2009, xiii). Because of this, any serious student of PPE should have at least some knowledge of and capacity to use game theory.
