Game theory (mathematics and philosophy)

I was chittychatting with a friend about game theory developed, I think, in the 1960s by certain mathematicians. Is anyone here familiar with this and if so, do you think tests conducted proved exactly what certain philosophers have been saying for jillions of years -- that people are totally selfish -- and that to have this freedom to BE selfish is exactly what "freedom" means?

Thoughts welcome!
Cheers.

oh... i like game theory! i don't know the math thingy, but politically and philosophically i'm familiar with it.

You can look at it as being selfish or you can also look at other things. Depending no the situation is it selfish to also act in one's self-interest if your survival depends on it?

A bunch of hunters have a deer cornered. Can they all count on each other to not defect or should they act independently because otherwise they might starve? It could be selfish to not act with the group, but if you depend on the group and they don't come through you could die. That's a crap explanation. i dont' have time to type up the entire scenario.

Game Theory has it's origins in the paper from von Neumann & Morgenstern. The book "The theory of Games and Economic Behavior" was published in 1944. Not an easy read, but it does contain some very insightful maths. A must read for anyone involved in any market, and anyone who wants to play Heads Up Poker. Also good for Insomniacs as it has sent me to sleep on many occasions.

Which tests are you talking about? I don't believe Game Theory attempts to prove people are selfish. It is rather, that in order to keep the maths workable for the theory it postulates that all participants in the (economic) system have a single aim of maximum utility. Utility being (in the economic system) either enjoyment for a consumer or profit for an entrepreneur. Game theory is trying to derive the perfect strategy for a game, the perfect strategy being one that over time cannot be beat by anybody playing any other strategy apart from the the perfect strategy themselves. Unfortunately that is about as far as my knowledge goes, but I hope somebody else will post more detail about the theory.

Stranger..

I think what you meant about game theory making everyone out to be selfish is that in game theory it is assumed that all individuals try to maximize their own utility. We economists refer to this as "individual rationality" and is in itself a theory about the way individuals behave. Game theory is not out to prove anything about individuals, most of the assumptions about individuals are taken from psychology and philosophy. Game theory is about predicting the outcomes of certain games...I could go into more detail here but I'm afraid it's going to get boring and doesn't have anything to do with freedom.

do you think that in portraying people as out to secure (at the expense of others) the biggest reward, or to avoid the harshest punishment by betraying others (say, to the secret police), gaming theory puts forth a rather paranoid and pessimistic view of humanity? and does this not lead to a very narrow view of "freedom"?

It seems to me that freedom is basically individuals being able to act alone -like lions tigers pigs cows or whatever other beast-like analogy- simply to satisfy their own desires (ie to achieve success before someone else steals it from them)