In this pithy and highly readable book, Brian Skyrms, a recognised authority on game and decision theory, investigates traditional problems of the social contract in terms of evolutionary dynamics. Game theory is skilfully employed to offer new interpretations of a wide variety of social phenomena, including justice, mutual aid, commitment, convention and meaning. The author eschews any grand, unified theory. Rather, he presents the reader with tools drawn from evolutionary game theory for the purpose of analysing and coming to understand the social contract. The book is not technical and requires no special background knowledge. As such, it could be enjoyed by students and professionals in a wide range of disciplines: political science, philosophy, decision theory, economics and biology.

Winner of the 1999 Lakatos Award, given by the London School of Economics in recognition of an outstanding contribution to the philosophy of science

‘This book takes philosophical discussion of game theory to a new level of sophistication.’

Elliot Sober - University of Wisconsin

‘… a brilliant and impressive work …’.

Christopher Bertram Source: The Economic Journal