Eric Wichmann
Expansion on Prisoner’s Dilemma
4/21/2011
The Prisoner’s Dilemma is a mind game, and like all games, it can be beaten. By beaten I
do not mean that you escape 100% free of penalty every time you play it, but there are ways to
be better off than the other guy. The strategy is simple really, but it all depends on how well
you know the other guy. The basic structure of the Prisoner’s Dilemma is that there are 2
prisoners, each who is interrogated involving a crime. Your penalty not only relies on whether
or not you confess, but also of the other prisoner. Basically, the person assigning the
punishment assumes you are both guilty, because if you both confess or you both remain silent,
you receive a punishment either way. In this way, it’s a game, rather than justice.
Now on to the ‘beating the game’ part. What’s best for you and you only, if you do not
care about the outcome for the other prisoner, is to confess. If you confess, you will either only
get a mediocre sentence, or no sentence at all. If you do care about the other prisoner, and you
trust him/her enough to listen to your advice, your best bet is to both remain silent because
you’ll get the minimal sentence. The basic rule of the game is that on a superficial level the
prisoners’ dilemma appears to display the overall idea of the invisible hand (Hand). When each
person in the dilemma pursues his private interest, he does not promote the collective interest
