The Selective Usefulness of Game Theory

The concepts of game theory are analyzed to determine their selective usefulnessfor studying certain types of problems and obtaining certain types ofconclusions. It is found that game thtory lends itself to perspectives andapplications which do not question the assumptions underlying existingstructures or institutions in society. The selective usefulness of game theoryconcepts 1s reflected ~nthe actual uses and applications of the theory; severalexamples are g1ve11.Furthermore, this selective usefulness is quite compatiblewith what is known about the origins of game theory. The study of game theoryconcepts provides a useful example of a perspective on mathematics from whichn~athematicalframeworks, as well as associated concepts, are seen as beingvalue-laden.