The altruists in our example are prisoners of the logic of
the game. Only an "outside" power can release them from their
predicament and permit them to materialize their true nature. Gauthier
said that morally-constrained agents are more likely to evade
Paretto-dominated outcomes in competitive games - than agents who are
constrained only rationally. But this is unconvincing without the
existence of an Hobesian enforcement mechanism (a state is the most
common one). Players would do better to avoid Paretto dominated
outcomes by imposing the constraints of such a mechanism upon their
available strategies. Paretto optimality is defined as efficiency, when
there is no state of things (a different distribution of resources) in
which at least one player is better off - with all the other no worse
off. "Better off" read: "with his preference satisfied". This
definitely could lead to cooperation (to avoid a bad outcome) - but it
cannot be shown to lead to the formation of morality, however basic.
Criminals can achieve their goals in splendid cooperation and be
content, but that does not make it more moral.
Game theory is agent neutral, it is utilitarianism at its apex.
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