Comic #1851: 2010-06-05
Description
Here’s a transcription of the comic text you provided:
"THE PRISONER'S DILEMMA" IS A CONCEPT FROM THE FIELD OF GAME THEORY.
Imagine two perfectly rational prisoners who don’t know what the other is doing.
Each can rat out the other or remain silent, resulting in 4 possible outcomes:
| RAT OUT | REMAIN SILENT | |
|---|---|---|
| RAT OUT | Both get 1 year. | One gets free, one gets 5 years. |
| REMAIN SILENT | One goes free, one gets 5 years. | Both get 6 months. |
If you squeal, you get either 1 or 2 years. If you keep mum, it’s 5 or 6 years.
So, even though D is the best choice, the "perfectly rational" people pick A!
THE DILEMMA CAN BE APPLIED TO MORALITY…
Do unto others as you…
| LIKE | WOULD HAVE THEM DO UNTO YOU | |
|---|---|---|
| BAD FOR ALL | GREAT FOR 1 | HORRIBLE FOR 2 |
| GREAT FOR 2 | HORRIBLE FOR 1 | GOOD FOR ALL |
THE GREAT ETHICISTS OF HISTORY SHARE ESSENTIALLY ONE GOAL: GET STRANGERS TO ALWAYS PICK D.
…SOME DID BETTER THAN OTHERS…
THE GREATEST FELICITY FOR ALL IS HERE! EH? COME ON! MAXIMIZE YOUR FELICITY IN SQUARE D! WOAH! (BENTHAM)
A IS MADE OF FIRE! (CHRIST)