Retribution can breed cooperation

[rhisiart at earthlink.net]

At 12:10 AM 1/25/2002 -0500, you wrote:
>fodder....especially considering some past discussion of altruism, etc.
>
>http://www.nature.com/nsu/020107/020107-6.html
>
>Prosperity through punishment

i'm sure that's how the private prison industry looks at it.


>Retribution can breed cooperation.
>10 January 2002
>JOHN WHITFIELD
>
>
>Cooperation can flourish if the public-spirited majority can punish 
>freeloaders, say Swiss economists. People will pay to punish - suggesting 
>that their notions of fairness outweigh selfish considerations. The work 
>may help explain why people cooperate in society.