Re: virus: Altruism, Empathy, the Superorganism, and the Priso ner'sDillema

Martz (martz@martz.demon.co.uk)
Wed, 30 Apr 1997 00:32:26 +0100


On Tue, 29 Apr 1997, "Wright, James 7929" <Jwright@phelpsd.com> wrote:

>Computers and software are not people; I have written a few programs
>simulating control systems myself, and even simple mechanical systems
>exhibit chaotic behavior beyond current algorithms ability to describe
>them. Axelrod's work may be interesting, and even shed light on the
>discussion, but all I have is your interpretation of it at this point, so
>I do not choose to accept your argument until I have.

I don't think Lee's point is about how the simulation emulates people.
It's about behaviour in general, and how acting in a purely selfish
manner can confer incidental benefits on others. If that can happen for
simplistic computerised automata why can't it scale upwards to complex,
semi-intelligent human beings? It would certainly suggest that the term
"self-interested cooperation" is not a contradiction.

-- 
Martz
martz@martz.demon.co.uk

For my public key, <mailto:m.traynor@ic.ac.uk> with 'Send public key' as subject an automated reply will follow.

No more random quotes.