Rob Colquhoun

Game Theory and self emptying love

Game theory in its explanation of human behaviour posits humans as narcissistic individuals merely concerned with their own interests. How far this theory is from the Christian concept of self emptying love! How sinister in comparison to the love of Christ for his Church and our attempts at the response to this love! How narrow in perspective considering the abundance of eros and agape in the world!

Fear and distrust are powerful forces, capable of making good people paralysed to act towards the good. Theories that are anthropologically flawed serve only to undermine human trust between individuals. Institutions such as the Church have come under considerable barrage of attack in the last twenty years. The fruits of individualism, consumerism and secularism combined have accentuated the power of fear to dominate the human mind.

The Christian message, when lived out in reality serves to ridicule the presumptions of game theory and fear by showing that genuine charity exists because mankind is fundamentally good. God created man in his image and desired that man should respond to him in love. The family is reliant upon the self giving love that looks after children too vulnerable to look after themselves. And all of humanity is dependent on this self giving love- otherwise we would all be dead in our cots. The family as a unit surpasses self interest because as a communion of love, one looks to another for nourishment and support.