orthonormal comments on Robust Cooperation in the Prisoner's Dilemma - Less Wrong

69 Post author: orthonormal 07 June 2013 08:30AM

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Comment author: Will_Sawin 10 June 2013 04:24:33AM 2 points [-]

I am bothered by the fact that the reasoning that leads to PrudentBot seems to contradict the reasoning of decision theory. Specifially, the most basic and obvious fact of behavior in these competitive games is: if you can prove that the opponent cooperates if and only if you do, then you should cooperate. But this reasoning gives the wrong answer vs. CooperateBot, for Lobian reasons. Is there an explanation for this gap?

Comment author: orthonormal 10 June 2013 05:04:12PM 0 points [-]

Specifially, the most basic and obvious fact of behavior in these competitive games is: if you can prove that the opponent cooperates if and only if you do, then you should cooperate.

The point is that this "fact" is intuitive but wrong as stated, for reasons of Löbian self-reference.

Comment author: Will_Sawin 11 June 2013 12:25:25AM *  1 point [-]

I know that, as I tried to state in my question. This does not dispel my confusion.