Scott Alexander examines contractualism and its limitations using a thought experiment of 100 men with varying strengths, exploring how power dynamics affect moral agreements.
Longer summary
Scott Alexander explores the concept of contractualism in morality, using a thought experiment involving a society of 100 men with varying strengths. He examines how different agreements against oppression might be formed based on utility ratios and power differentials. The post then discusses why this model doesn't work due to game theory considerations, drawing parallels with the Iterated Prisoner's Dilemma. Scott concludes by proposing some variations of the problem that might yield more interesting results, including random elements in interactions, meta-agreements, and coalitions.
Shorter summary