Prisoner's Dilemma, Utilitarianism, Capitalism, Collective

The Prisoner's Dilemma demonstrates that 1. Selfishness can be self-defeating; and 2. The determination of the course of action that is most beneficial to its agent can be dependent on the action of another. Hence, the example undermines both Bentham's and Mill's Utilitarianism, i. e. by showing that neither procedure can arrive at the greatest happiness of either an individual or of the greatest number, in at least one case. Now, Capitalism is essentially Utilitarian, of one or the other variety, while a Cooperative is an interactive organization, similar to a team sport or an artistic ensemble. Thus, a Cooperative is not only irreducible to a Capitalist model, i. e. its value cannot be determined with respect to the latter, the Prisoner's Dilemma shows that it is potentially more beneficial, both to each of its members, and as whole, than any version of Smith's system.