The Evolution of Cooperation

Based upon the tournament results and the formal propositions, four simple suggestions are offered for individual choice: do not be envious of the other player’s success; do not be the first to defect; reciprocate both cooperation and defection; and do not be too clever.

under suitable conditions, cooperation can indeed emerge in a world of egoists without central authority. To

When the players will never meet again, the strategy of defection is the only stable strategy.

The Cooperation Theory that is presented in this book is based upon an investigation of individuals who pursue their own self-interest without the aid of a central authority to force them to cooperate with each other.

What accounts for TIT FOR TAT’s robust success is its combination of being nice, retaliatory, forgiving, and clear. Its

The discrimination of others may be among the most important of abilities because it allows one to handle interactions with many individuals without having to treat them all the same, thus making possible the rewarding of cooperation from one individual and the punishing of defection from another.

Reciprocity is certainly not a good basis for a morality of aspiration. Yet it is more than just the morality of egoism. It