Abstract

This article is a contribution to a symposium celebrating the life of Patrick Suppes. It describes the context in which he made contributions relevant to two extremes of the game theory spectrum. At one extreme, he made an experimental study of whether laboratory subjects learn to use Von Neumann’s minimax theory in games of pure conflict. At the other extreme, he invented a theory of empathetic identification that lies at the root of an approach to making interpersonal comparisons needed for the study of games in which cooperation is central rather than conflict. These pieces of work are peripheral to his major interests, but they nevertheless illustrate how it is possible to be an academic success without conceding anything to current academic fashion.