Presuppositions of The Game Theory
Soloman believes that as the game theory gets more sophisticated, we tend to
lose sight of the problem rather than solve it. He sees the problem as how to
get people to think about business and about themselves in an Aristotelian
rather than a neo-Hobbesian (or even a Rawlsian) way, which the game theoretical
models simply presuppose.
Soloman discusses seven presuppositions in the first section of his "Ethics &
Excellence" book. They are: rationality and prudence; motivation and self-
interest; money and measurement; the anomaly of altruism; good and goals; the
open-ended playing field; and the role of the rules. Soloman rejects each
presupposition and gives his reasons why.
This essay will discuss two of these presuppositions and either agree or
disagree with Soloman and then give reasons as to why. The two presuppositions
that will be discussed are money and measurement and the role of the rules.
Money and Measurement
In business, as in most games, we like to keep score. As one of Soloman's
businessman friends told him "in business you always know how well you are doing.
You just have to put your hand in your pocket." People often think the more
money one has, the happier they are. You often hear people say "if I only had
more money, I would be happy." Frequently the perceived level of success is
compared to the size of one's bank account, the location of their house or the
amount of cars in the driveway. People seem to perceive money as being
happiness.
Soloman says that keeping score, although it is not an essential feature of
games, seems to be one of the most durable f ...