How far back do we need to go, though?

As far as needed to understand (the dependence of current agent's values on (the dependence of (expected benefit from value extraction) on current agent's values)). (Sorry, adding parens was simpler!)

This involves currently confusing "benefit" (to whom?) and assumed-mistaken "expected" (by whom?), supposedly referring to aspects of past agents (that built/determined the current agent) deciding on the strategic value bargaining. (As usual, ability to parse the world and see things that play the roles of elements of agents' algorithms seems necessary to get anything of this sort done.)