StudentShare
Contact Us
Sign In / Sign Up for FREE
Search
Go to advanced search...
Free

The Prisoners Dilemma in Social Contract Theory - Essay Example

Cite this document
Summary
The paper "The Prisoners Dilemma in Social Contract Theory" states that Hobbes had an atomistic view concerning the natural state of man. He maintained his theory that in every state of nature, people are isolated from one another, with few instances of collision and reactions against one another…
Download full paper File format: .doc, available for editing
GRAB THE BEST PAPER98.7% of users find it useful
The Prisoners Dilemma in Social Contract Theory
Read Text Preview

Extract of sample "The Prisoners Dilemma in Social Contract Theory"

The states of nature with no organization structures within the civil society are defined as “solitary, poor, nasty, brutish and short" (Binmore 56). Hobbes's reaction to individuals in a society with no social institutions and with natural states is further backed by the “Prisoner’s Dilemma” which also defines the behavior of individuals in a society in its natural state. This theory is founded on the individualist powers in society.

According to the prisoner’s dilemma theory, everyone in the society is after achieving personal interest and thus more individualistic and self-fish. This makes the society less productive than it would have been had all the individuals been willing to cooperate for the benefit of the society as a whole. A perfect example is that of the ‘free rider’ in society. The free rider problem is presented in the case of public goods which are non-rival and non-excludability. Therefore, once provided, the cost of excluding others from consuming it would even be more expensive. This makes some people (free riders) take advantage and consume the goods without paying them, hence making the provision of such goods more costly (Binmore 59).

According to Hobbes, the most preferred and rational states of nature in a civil society are cooperation and aversion of the natural societal state. Every society that breeds individualism ends up losing its development course because of the self-seeking nature of the people in such a society. According to Hobbes, individuals utilize their rational and natural impulses to engage in social contracts as a way of avoiding the fear brought about by the state of nature. This involves giving up on the right to self-governance. Self-right is traded sovereignty at the expense of society. Sovereignty comes with authority and power that members of the society are expected to obey whether the sovereign power is vested in a ruling body or an individual (Binmore 61).

This is because it is such sovereign powers and authority vested in a person that keeps off the degeneration of society into a state of nature. The sovereign therefore becomes the only authorized personality in the civil society with the power to decide on the best course of action for the entire generation while the rest give their due by obeying the decisions of the sovereign representatives. Although the system may be autocratic, Hobbes argues that, just like other members of the society, the sovereign is determined and eager and also cautious to avoid any state of nature and, hence would always act in the interest of the majority (Binmore 65). Read More
Cite this document
  • APA
  • MLA
  • CHICAGO
(“Prisoner's Dilemma Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words”, n.d.)
Prisoner's Dilemma Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words. Retrieved from https://studentshare.org/philosophy/1617718-prisoners-dilemma
(Prisoner'S Dilemma Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 Words)
Prisoner'S Dilemma Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 Words. https://studentshare.org/philosophy/1617718-prisoners-dilemma.
“Prisoner'S Dilemma Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 Words”, n.d. https://studentshare.org/philosophy/1617718-prisoners-dilemma.
  • Cited: 0 times

CHECK THESE SAMPLES OF The Prisoners Dilemma in Social Contract Theory

A Growing Problem in the US Criminal Justice System

Penrose illustrated an inverse correlation between the populations of prisons and psychiatric hospitals and called it as the balloon theory where prison population of mentally ill offenders rises when the mental hospital population falls, and vice versa (Erickson & Erickson, 2008; Torrey, et al.... He was actually clueless that the US was then planning to performed a grand social experiment which will put his theory to test (Torrey, et al.... As documented in Erickson and Erickson (2008), George Palermo and his team of researchers extensively analyzed prison and psychiatric facility data between 1904 and 1987 and found Penrose's balloon theory valid....
10 Pages (2500 words) Essay

How Does the Constitution Mitigate Collective Action Problems

Collective Action can be traced to the social contract theories of Hobbes, Locke and Rousseau, whereby man signed a contract with an individual or a group of individuals acting to promote the interests of all.... Introduction Collective Action can be traced to the social contract theories of Hobbes, Locke and Rousseau, whereby man signed a contract with a.... This essay explores this field of collective action, its problems such as coordination, disagreement, defection or instability, free riding and alternatives or prisoners dilemma, how the same are mitigated by the Constitution and the particular role of the Constitution....
6 Pages (1500 words) Essay

Ethics in Social Psychology

The paper "Ethics in social Psychology" states that citing the example of the Stanford Prison Study, those individuals who performed the role of prisoners were subjected to pain in the experiment.... Ethics in social Psychology Research s From the principle of ethics, any research performed should result to positive outcomes.... Summary of how the current APA Ethical Standard Apply to Zimbardo Prison Study and the use of Deception in social Psychological Research As a researcher code model of conduct, the present APA (American Psychological Association) ethical standards are due to fifty years (50yrs) development and revision history....
9 Pages (2250 words) Research Paper

Female Offenders and Psychiatric Counseling: Criminal Justice Implications

mart, C 1977, ‘Criminological theory: Its ideology and implications concerning women', ... This is also why women are persistently regarded as invisible participants of the criminal justice system, with their mental health and social problems.... This, in turn raises the dilemma of treatment versus punishment and exposes the long-standing dysfunctional beliefs about offending women.... The dilemma of punishment versus treatment remains unresolved, mostly due to the fears of unprofessional judgments and the absence of valid diagnostic instruments....
7 Pages (1750 words) Essay

Female Offenders and Psychiatric Counseling: Criminal Justice Implications

mart, C 1977, ‘Criminological theory: Its ideology and implications concerning women', ... This is also why women are persistently regarded as invisible participants of the criminal justice system, with their mental health and social problems.... This, in turn raises the dilemma of treatment versus punishment and exposes the long-standing dysfunctional beliefs about offending women.... The dilemma of punishment versus treatment remains unresolved, mostly due to the fears of unprofessional judgments and the absence of valid diagnostic instruments....
7 Pages (1750 words) Essay

Ethical Dilemma Abu Ghraib Abuses

The social responsibility theory asserts that the executive is responsible to the employees.... In addition, no individual in the CIA or the Defense or Ethical dilemma Abu Ghraib Abuses Introduction The motivation for this debate is the lack of responsibility of the torture undertaken at Abu Ghraib prison (Ricks 324).... This paper will highlight the leader's ethical dilemma and give a personal opinion on the actions the leader should have taken during the Abu Graib Abuses in Iraq during 2004....
2 Pages (500 words) Essay

Social Contract in Relation to Government

The author states that the rules are meant to ensure that individual self-interest is protected and the role of the government is well connected to the social contract theory.... The social contract theory should not include it being a set of rules because the parties in the contract only follow it because the others are following it.... The resource follows a logical sequence of thought with the prisoner's dilemma being linked to the social contract theory....
1 Pages (250 words) Essay

Ethics and Deception in Social Psychology Research

This coursework "Ethics and Deception in social Psychology Research" focuses on analyzing the consequences and disadvantages of the use of deception in research basing on the Stanford Prison Experiment.... Ethics in social Psychology Research s From the principle of ethics, any research performed should result to positive outcomes.... ummary of how the current APA Ethical Standard Apply to Zimbardo Prison Study and the use of Deception in social Psychological Research ...
9 Pages (2250 words) Coursework
sponsored ads
We use cookies to create the best experience for you. Keep on browsing if you are OK with that, or find out how to manage cookies.
Contact Us