GAME (Positive Sum)
| Collection | International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics |
|---|---|
| Year | 2004 |
| Vol. (num.) | 2(1) |
| ID | ◀ 1381 ▶ |
| Object type | General information, Human sciences, Methodology or model |
A game which produces net gains for one of the players
Truly, any game, when considered globally in time, should be considered a zero-sum game: The gains of some players are the losses of other players.
However, a somewhat viciated concept of so-called positive-sum games has crept within the minds of numerous people, specially in economics.
Interestingly, G. BATESON observes: “A social system is, as von NEUMANN and MORGENSTERN point out, comparable to a non-zero sum game in which one or more coalitions of people play each other and against nature. The non-zero sum characteristic is based on the fact that value is continually extracted from the natural environment” (1973, p.94)… which, in contradiction with general popular belief, but in accord with the 2d principle of thermodynamics, is not an inexhaustible treasure chest.
Only by global recycling, using available permanently renewable sources of energy, could this game be maintained. If this is not taken care of, the future generations could face a dire “negative-sum game”.