poly: conditional cooperation

Hal:>Does this work though even in situations where you can't communicate
>your commitment? It would seem that there is no benefit to sticking to
>your policy when faced with the actual offer, given that it's a one shot
>game

Curt>It's not rational for you, but it can be rational for a gene or meme
that can influence you to make that commitment. Said gene or meme
faces an ongoing game, even if you don't.

Very interesting implications, Curt! Can it be that some of the ethos seen
in religion... the notion of all-seeing powers and eventual comeuppance for
good or bad deeds... may be rooted in such a long-seeing meme, as you just
described? That would imply that religion is not merely parasitical in its
memic activity, but possibly commensal.
Received on Sat Apr 11 10:24:31 1998