Sunday, August 12, 2007

Silly Sunday Stories on Adam Smith, no. 3

Pulsipher Boardgame Design (“This blog contains comments by Dr. Lewis Pulsipher about boardgames he is designing or has designed in the past, as well as comments on game design in general)”(12 August).

“The Invisible Hand

"The pseudonymous "Adam Smith" wrote, in "Wealth of Nations", about the invisible hand "to illustrate how those who seek wealth by following their individual self-interest assist society as a whole and build the common good." (Wikipedia) In Britannia-like games, there seems to be an "invisible hand" that tends to balance the game, over many plays, as players recognize that everything they do affects the game as a whole. E.g., in situations where it might be possible to wipe out a nation, a player might choose not to do so because he knows that later this will be of too much benefit to a third player.”

Comment
None… I’m off to watch a football match instead (er, sorry America, ‘soccer’). Whoever wrote the 'Wikipedia' entry is, well, less than satisfactory as an authority on Adam Smith.

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