Re: game theory

["Devine, James" <jdevine@xxxxxxx>]

Ted writes: 
>I think it's a mistake to see psychopathology as ever "functional."

>"Success" can't be furthered by unrealistic thinking.<

unrealistic thinking -- e.g., schizophrenia -- usually doesn't further success in capitalist enterprise, on the level of practical reason. But it does in other circumstances. Economist Robert Barro has made a profession out of embracing unrealistic thinking and has gotten big bucks. Some religious leaders are extremely unrealistic (at least on the theological, theoretical level) but have convinced large numbers of disciples to follow them and to give them money. There are lots of other examples that suggest that unrealism can be quite lucrative as long as it doesn't spill over into the nuts and bolts of practical living (managing the books, etc.) or if there's some trusted individual who will take care of those. (Even so, sometimes unrealistic thinking as the stock market soars can pay off by luck (if one sells at the peak).) 

On the other hand, when I referred to "psychopathology" (or sociopathology or "antisocial personality disorder") I wasn't talking about psychopathology _in general_ but specifically about the lack of a conscience. That kind of psychopathology seems to be rewarded and thus encouraged by the structure of capitalist society. (As Ken noted, the corporation itself institutionalizes antisocial personality disorder.) The main problem for a psychopath of this sort is to keep others from knowing that he or she is one of those; this is called "public relations." 

Jim Devine