No Cover Image

Journal article 388 views 211 downloads

Game theory, cheap talk and post-truth politics: David Lewis vs. John Searle on reasons for truth-telling

S.M. Amadae

Journal for the Theory of Social Behaviour, Volume: 48, Issue: 3

Swansea University Author: S.M. Amadae

Check full text

DOI (Published version): 10.1111/jtsb.12169

Abstract

This paper examines two accounts of agents' truth-telling versus fabrication of facts: that of David Lewis and John Searle. Relying on game theory, Lewis argues that truth-telling will occur when agents' interests align, but that as soon as there are conflicts of interest, actors will deci...

Full description

Published in: Journal for the Theory of Social Behaviour
ISSN: 00218308
Published: Wiley 2018
Online Access: Check full text

URI: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa40167
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
first_indexed 2018-05-15T19:27:45Z
last_indexed 2020-07-10T19:01:52Z
id cronfa40167
recordtype SURis
fullrecord <?xml version="1.0"?><rfc1807><datestamp>2020-07-10T14:07:01.7555169</datestamp><bib-version>v2</bib-version><id>40167</id><entry>2018-05-15</entry><title>Game theory, cheap talk and post-truth politics: David Lewis vs. John Searle on reasons for truth-telling</title><swanseaauthors><author><sid>9e4a01e93bf5f0d15b071bc9a9fa3c32</sid><firstname>S.M.</firstname><surname>Amadae</surname><name>S.M. Amadae</name><active>true</active><ethesisStudent>false</ethesisStudent></author></swanseaauthors><date>2018-05-15</date><deptcode>APC</deptcode><abstract>This paper examines two accounts of agents' truth-telling versus fabrication of facts: that of David Lewis and John Searle. Relying on game theory, Lewis argues that truth-telling will occur when agents' interests align, but that as soon as there are conflicts of interest, actors will decide whether to tell the truth or be deceptive as a matter of strategic calculation. Searle, as well as Paul Grice, argue instead that agents are motivated to tell the truth because it is a condition of meaningfully communicating. This paper raises the caution that a pedagogy of truth-telling relying wholly on game theory may reinforce selectively upholding standards of accuracy in communication strictly as a matter of incentives. Therefore a game theoretic approach to language use and understanding may reinforce an erosion of standards of public deliberation, thus contributing to actors' participation in post-truth politics.</abstract><type>Journal Article</type><journal>Journal for the Theory of Social Behaviour</journal><volume>48</volume><journalNumber>3</journalNumber><publisher>Wiley</publisher><issnPrint>00218308</issnPrint><keywords>cheap talk, David Lewis, game theory, John Searle, Paul Grice, post-truth politics, rationality, truth</keywords><publishedDay>15</publishedDay><publishedMonth>5</publishedMonth><publishedYear>2018</publishedYear><publishedDate>2018-05-15</publishedDate><doi>10.1111/jtsb.12169</doi><url/><notes/><college>COLLEGE NANME</college><department>Politics, Philosophy and International Relations</department><CollegeCode>COLLEGE CODE</CollegeCode><DepartmentCode>APC</DepartmentCode><institution>Swansea University</institution><apcterm/><lastEdited>2020-07-10T14:07:01.7555169</lastEdited><Created>2018-05-15T13:52:59.8463860</Created><path><level id="1">Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences</level><level id="2">School of Culture and Communication - Politics, Philosophy and International Relations</level></path><authors><author><firstname>S.M.</firstname><surname>Amadae</surname><order>1</order></author></authors><documents><document><filename>0040167-18052018153119.pdf</filename><originalFilename>AmadaeCheapTalkPostTruthPoliticsJSocialBehaviorDec4_2017Submitted_OpenAccess.pdf</originalFilename><uploaded>2018-05-18T15:31:19.9030000</uploaded><type>Output</type><contentLength>296395</contentLength><contentType>application/pdf</contentType><version>Accepted Manuscript</version><cronfaStatus>true</cronfaStatus><embargoDate>2019-05-15T00:00:00.0000000</embargoDate><copyrightCorrect>true</copyrightCorrect><language>eng</language></document></documents><OutputDurs/></rfc1807>
spelling 2020-07-10T14:07:01.7555169 v2 40167 2018-05-15 Game theory, cheap talk and post-truth politics: David Lewis vs. John Searle on reasons for truth-telling 9e4a01e93bf5f0d15b071bc9a9fa3c32 S.M. Amadae S.M. Amadae true false 2018-05-15 APC This paper examines two accounts of agents' truth-telling versus fabrication of facts: that of David Lewis and John Searle. Relying on game theory, Lewis argues that truth-telling will occur when agents' interests align, but that as soon as there are conflicts of interest, actors will decide whether to tell the truth or be deceptive as a matter of strategic calculation. Searle, as well as Paul Grice, argue instead that agents are motivated to tell the truth because it is a condition of meaningfully communicating. This paper raises the caution that a pedagogy of truth-telling relying wholly on game theory may reinforce selectively upholding standards of accuracy in communication strictly as a matter of incentives. Therefore a game theoretic approach to language use and understanding may reinforce an erosion of standards of public deliberation, thus contributing to actors' participation in post-truth politics. Journal Article Journal for the Theory of Social Behaviour 48 3 Wiley 00218308 cheap talk, David Lewis, game theory, John Searle, Paul Grice, post-truth politics, rationality, truth 15 5 2018 2018-05-15 10.1111/jtsb.12169 COLLEGE NANME Politics, Philosophy and International Relations COLLEGE CODE APC Swansea University 2020-07-10T14:07:01.7555169 2018-05-15T13:52:59.8463860 Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences School of Culture and Communication - Politics, Philosophy and International Relations S.M. Amadae 1 0040167-18052018153119.pdf AmadaeCheapTalkPostTruthPoliticsJSocialBehaviorDec4_2017Submitted_OpenAccess.pdf 2018-05-18T15:31:19.9030000 Output 296395 application/pdf Accepted Manuscript true 2019-05-15T00:00:00.0000000 true eng
title Game theory, cheap talk and post-truth politics: David Lewis vs. John Searle on reasons for truth-telling
spellingShingle Game theory, cheap talk and post-truth politics: David Lewis vs. John Searle on reasons for truth-telling
S.M. Amadae
title_short Game theory, cheap talk and post-truth politics: David Lewis vs. John Searle on reasons for truth-telling
title_full Game theory, cheap talk and post-truth politics: David Lewis vs. John Searle on reasons for truth-telling
title_fullStr Game theory, cheap talk and post-truth politics: David Lewis vs. John Searle on reasons for truth-telling
title_full_unstemmed Game theory, cheap talk and post-truth politics: David Lewis vs. John Searle on reasons for truth-telling
title_sort Game theory, cheap talk and post-truth politics: David Lewis vs. John Searle on reasons for truth-telling
author_id_str_mv 9e4a01e93bf5f0d15b071bc9a9fa3c32
author_id_fullname_str_mv 9e4a01e93bf5f0d15b071bc9a9fa3c32_***_S.M. Amadae
author S.M. Amadae
author2 S.M. Amadae
format Journal article
container_title Journal for the Theory of Social Behaviour
container_volume 48
container_issue 3
publishDate 2018
institution Swansea University
issn 00218308
doi_str_mv 10.1111/jtsb.12169
publisher Wiley
college_str Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
hierarchytype
hierarchy_top_id facultyofhumanitiesandsocialsciences
hierarchy_top_title Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
hierarchy_parent_id facultyofhumanitiesandsocialsciences
hierarchy_parent_title Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
department_str School of Culture and Communication - Politics, Philosophy and International Relations{{{_:::_}}}Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences{{{_:::_}}}School of Culture and Communication - Politics, Philosophy and International Relations
document_store_str 1
active_str 0
description This paper examines two accounts of agents' truth-telling versus fabrication of facts: that of David Lewis and John Searle. Relying on game theory, Lewis argues that truth-telling will occur when agents' interests align, but that as soon as there are conflicts of interest, actors will decide whether to tell the truth or be deceptive as a matter of strategic calculation. Searle, as well as Paul Grice, argue instead that agents are motivated to tell the truth because it is a condition of meaningfully communicating. This paper raises the caution that a pedagogy of truth-telling relying wholly on game theory may reinforce selectively upholding standards of accuracy in communication strictly as a matter of incentives. Therefore a game theoretic approach to language use and understanding may reinforce an erosion of standards of public deliberation, thus contributing to actors' participation in post-truth politics.
published_date 2018-05-15T03:51:08Z
_version_ 1763752509080338432
score 11.035655

Similar Items