The True Prisoner’s Dilemma is any situation where you absolutely prefer (D, C) over (C, C) over (D, D) over (C, D). The very point of the True Prisoner’s Dilemma is that you are tempted to defect, and that you should defect if that doesn’t mean that the other guy also defects. If the other guy is a cooperate-bot, you should defect, if the other guy is a defect-bot, you should defect, if the other guy is a random-decision-bot, you should defect, but you should cooperate if your defection means also the other guy’s defection.
So whether you cooperate or defect in it depends absolutely on how you believe cooperation or defection will raise the likely probability of each scenario; and the corresponding stakes at hand. These are all relevant details which can’t be summarized in an abstraction like “True Prisoner’s Dilemma, cooperate or defect”. Well, it frigging depends on the exact details of situation, and in particular on the opponent you are facing.
Now if it was specified “True Prisoner’s Dilemma against an identical copy of yourself. Cooperate or Defect?” that would gives me enough information to decide “cooperate”.
Could you explain your statement? Why is the question “cooperate or defect?” not meaningful in the True Prisoner’s Dilemma?
The True Prisoner’s Dilemma is any situation where you absolutely prefer (D, C) over (C, C) over (D, D) over (C, D). The very point of the True Prisoner’s Dilemma is that you are tempted to defect, and that you should defect if that doesn’t mean that the other guy also defects. If the other guy is a cooperate-bot, you should defect, if the other guy is a defect-bot, you should defect, if the other guy is a random-decision-bot, you should defect, but you should cooperate if your defection means also the other guy’s defection.
So whether you cooperate or defect in it depends absolutely on how you believe cooperation or defection will raise the likely probability of each scenario; and the corresponding stakes at hand. These are all relevant details which can’t be summarized in an abstraction like “True Prisoner’s Dilemma, cooperate or defect”. Well, it frigging depends on the exact details of situation, and in particular on the opponent you are facing.
Now if it was specified “True Prisoner’s Dilemma against an identical copy of yourself. Cooperate or Defect?” that would gives me enough information to decide “cooperate”.