Decision-theoretic blackmail is when X gets Y to choose A over B, not via acting to make the consequences of A more appealing to Y, but by making the consequences of B less appealing to Y.
The exceptions to this definition are pretty massive, though, and I don’t know a principled emendation that excludes them.
1. There’s a contract / social contract / decision-theoretic equilibrium, and within that, B will be punished. (This may not be a true counterexample, because the true choice is whether to join the contract… though this is less clear for the social contract than for the other two.)
2. Precommitting not to give in to blackmail is not itself blackmail. Of course, in an ultimatum game both players can imagine themselves as doing this.
Can anyone think of more exceptions, or a redefinition that clearly excludes these?
Decision-theoretic blackmail is when X gets Y to choose A over B, not via acting to make the consequences of A more appealing to Y, but by making the consequences of B less appealing to Y.
The exceptions to this definition are pretty massive, though, and I don’t know a principled emendation that excludes them.
1. There’s a contract / social contract / decision-theoretic equilibrium, and within that, B will be punished. (This may not be a true counterexample, because the true choice is whether to join the contract… though this is less clear for the social contract than for the other two.)
2. Precommitting not to give in to blackmail is not itself blackmail. Of course, in an ultimatum game both players can imagine themselves as doing this.
Can anyone think of more exceptions, or a redefinition that clearly excludes these?