Strategic Minds: The Game Theory of Cooperation, Coordination and Collaboration

The purpose of the course is to look at various models and dilemmas that underlie cooperative decision making. We will delve into the philosophical underpinnings of strategic interactions, analyzing the rational choices individuals make in collaborative scenarios. Why does altruism make sense in a society of self-interested agents? How do we end up following social norms? And what is the point of dress-codes and other conventions? This is the glue that keeps societies together.

Through a blend of lectures, practical applications and live discussions, students will gain insight into how game theory can illuminate ethical considerations and social dynamics. The course aims to equip students with a nuanced understanding of cooperation, rationality and strategic reasoning within the framework of game theory.

Lectures

1. Logistics [pdf]

2. The Problem of Cooperation [pdf]

3. Game Theory 101 [pdf]

4. Does Cooperation Survive In a World of Competing Strategies? [pdf]

Bibliography

1. Trivers, R. L. (1971). The Evolution of Reciprocal Altruism. The Quarterly Review of Biology, 46(1), 35–57.
2. Alexander, R. (1987). The Biology of Moral Systems (Chapter 2). Transaction Publishers.
3. Axelrod, R. (2006). The Evolution of Cooperation: Revised Edition. Basic Books.
4. Dugatkin, L. A. (2020). Principles of Animal Behavior, 4th Edition (Chapter 9). The University of Chicago Press.