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Pure and Utilitarian Prisoner's Dilemmas

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  • Kuhn, Steven T.
  • Moresi, Serge

Abstract

The prisoner 's dilemma game (henceforth, PD) has acquired large literatures in several disciplines. It is surprising, therefore, that a good definition of the game is hard to find. Typically an author relates a story about captured criminals or military rivals, provides a particular payoff matrix and asserts that the PD is characterized, or illustrated, by that matrix. In the few cases in which characterizing conditions are given, the conditions, and the motivations for them, do not always agree with each other or with the paradigm examples elsewhere. In this paper we describe several varieties of PD's. In particular, we suggest there are two distinctions among PD's with philosophical significance, the pure/impure and the utilitarian/nonutilitarian distinctions. In the first section, we explain and characterize the two distinctions. In the second, we discuss an issue of moral philosophy that illustrates the significance of the former.

Suggested Citation

  • Kuhn, Steven T. & Moresi, Serge, 1995. "Pure and Utilitarian Prisoner's Dilemmas," Economics and Philosophy, Cambridge University Press, vol. 11(2), pages 333-343, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:cup:ecnphi:v:11:y:1995:i:02:p:333-343_00
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