Game Theory and the Philosphy of The Dark Knight

One of the common misconceptions of The Dark Knight revolves around the boat scene. Two boats, one filled with Gotham's most notorious criminals and the other filled with citizens of Gotham, are filled with explosives by the Joker's henchmen. The Joker provides the two boats with an ultimatum: either destroy the other boat by a certain time or the Joker will destroy both boats. Often, this situation is compared to the Prisoner's Dilemma, one of the most well known and popular games in game theory. There are two prisoners who are accomplices to the other. They have two choices: either confess to the crime or stay silent. If both prisoners confess to the crime, they are sentenced to 5 years in prison. If one prisoner confesses (and thus implicates the other) but the other stays silent, the prisoner who confessed is released from custody and the prisoner who stayed silent is sentenced to 10 years. However, if neither prisoner confesses, they are sentenced to 1 year in prison. So, it would be appear that the best situation is that neither prisoner confesses. But if one prisoner stays silent, the other prisoner has the incentive to confess to the crime, relieving himself of any time in jail. Since confessing is the better option regardless of what choice the other prisoner makes, both prisoners would rationally confess, but by doing so, they end up with 5 years of prison time each as opposed to 1 year, which is the outcome they would have if they cooperated.

The fatal flaw in the comparison between the Prisoner's Dilemma and the scenario in The Dark Knight is that not all outcomes can have a payout because of the essential impossibilty of one of the outcomes. If we were to build out the game, we would see that there are 2 players (the two ships) and 2 options (blow up the other ship or do nothing). This should lead to four outcomes, but one of the outcomes is essentially impossible in the Prisoner's Dilemma game. I think that the outcome where both players decide to blow the other player up is not realistically probable (though not impossible). If you were playing this game, you would not consider both players deciding to blow the other player up as an option. Unlike the Prisoner's Dilemma, The Dark Knight ship problem introduces an element of time. So in this game, you would have 3 options: you blow the other player up, the other player blows you up, or neither player blows up the other. While the Prisoner's Dilemma may not apply, the understanding we get from that game (and game theory) does allow us to delve deeper into one of the main ideas from that movie.

If in the Prisoner's Dilemma it is always better to confess, then we should hypothesize that one of the ships should have detonated the other ship. A rational person would value their survival over their death and not detonating the other ship will always lead in one's death in this game (barring an otherworldly power like Batman). However, both sides believed that not detonating the other ship is the better option. Assume the one ship does not opt to detonate the other (I'm going to make this assumption because the situation where both ships decide to detonate at the same time is implausible). The other ship could detonate or not detonate. We see in the film that the other ship does not choose the detonation because it has the better payoff, so survival is trumped by some other cause. I theorize that a rational person would detonate the other ship, but a moral person would not. Rather than live with burden of having killed an entire ship full of people, we would die knowing that we did the right thing. This idea is reminiscent of an oft quoted line said by Harvey Dent: "You either die a hero or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain." This binary morality drives the actions of Batman, Harvey Dent (and later Two-Face), and even the people on that ship. They could have survived by killing people, taking the role as the villain. But they saw that it would be better to die, heroically standing against the Joker's maniacal game.

The Last Airbender Series: The Fortuneteller and the Expectation from Prophecy

People love to know about their future. Many people want to know if they will live prosperous lives or fall in love. Others want to know if something bad will happen to them. But regardless of what the future holds for us, we want to know our future primarily because we now have a means to change it. The power of foresight is knowing exactly what will happen so that we can avoid it. But by knowing the future, it seems that we actively try to pursue this expectation of our future. We see this in The Fortuneteller.

One instance of this phenomenon is a throwaway joke. Sokka meets a man who had met with the fortune teller about when he will meet the love of his life. The fortune teller tells him that he will meet the love of his life while he is wearing red shoes. He subsequently always wears red shoes. Sokka, already skeptical of the mystical power of the fortune teller, laments that the prophecy will certainly come true if you will it so. This person forces his expected future to become his reality, showing that he is seemingly in control of his destiny. But here, this control is an illusion as the person already knows his destiny and changes his life according to it. The other instance is when the fortune teller predicts that the town will be safe from harm. Aang and Sokka realize that the volcano is going to erupt and that the fortune teller was incorrect. So Aang, Sokka, and Katara take it upon themselves to change the fortune teller's prediction. By doing so, they are able to avoid any catastrophe from the volcano. But, as one of the townspeople notes, the fortune teller was correct in stating that the town would be safe from harm. Here, there is no illusion of control. The Gaang were in control of their destiny and the destiny of the town.

The fortune teller makes a strong point near the end of the episode that captures this nicely. She tells Aang that he can shape his own destiny, much like he changed the clouds (thus altering her prediction). We are in as much control as we choose. We can force our fate upon ourselves, or we can fight against it, even if it is later revealed to be all for naught.

The Last Airbender Series: The Blue Spirit and the Value of Anonymity

“Behind this mask there is more than just flesh. Beneath this mask there is an idea... and ideas are bulletproof.” One of the most popular quotes from Alan Moore's graphic novel V for Vendetta, this quote defines V's intentions for the tyrannical dystopian British Parliament. But it is important to know that the anonymity of V, caused solely by his Guy Fawkes mask, creates a symbol for revolution. If V were not anonymous, the revolution would not take flight. So what does Zuko's anonymity create? 

Zuko needs to be anonymous for more than his own safety. Obviously, if he were to reveal himself, he would branded as a traitor to the Fire Nation. But the Blue Spirit represents more than Zuko's alter ego. Much like Zuko's scar, it represents his conflict within himself. Zuko is hell-bent on finding the Avatar and regaining his honor after being banished by his father. But as the crown prince of the Fire Nation, he theoretically must also want the Avatar to be captured in order for the Fire Nation to win the war. But he doesn't want to capture the Avatar for the Fire Nation. He wants to capture the Avatar for himself. Does this mean that Zuko is against the Fire Nation? No, but it does affect Zuko's identity. If he were truly a royal member of the Fire Nation, he would gladly put aside his quest to capture the Avatar for the glory of the Fire Nation. But he cannot let that happen. So he puts on the mask and shows his inner conflict. He wants to rejoin the Fire Nation as their prince, but at the same time, he must act against the betterment of the Fire Nation. 

The mask perfectly represents this conflict by giving Zuko anonymity. Within the mask, he can be anything he wants. The pseudonym for Zuko's alter ego is the Blue Spirit and he pits that against the Fire Nation, placing the fiery red of the Fire Nation army against the opposing blue of the Blue Spirit. Though this juxtaposition could be coincidental, I don't think it was accidental. If you want to show how Zuko has to betray the Fire Nation in order to be welcomed back into the Fire Nation, what better way to do that than by posing Zuko in the opposite color of the Fire Nation? By making Zuko anonymous, he is allowed to be a traitor to the Fire Nation while also advocating for the Fire Nation as their prince.

The Last Airbender Series: The Storm and the Societal Definition of Duty

The episode "The Storm" provides very important backstory to two of the most intriguing characters in the film. First is Aang, who, due to the impending attack from the Fire Nation, is told that he is the Avatar well before he turns 16. While he is accepted as a stellar Airbender before this announcement, afterwards he finds himself alienated from his peers, forced into a much too rigid training regiment for a 12 year old, and torn apart from his mentor and friend Monk Gyatso. These changes pile up, and the young Aang realizes that is unready to take his place as Avatar and flees from the air temple. The other story is Zuko's, haunted by his physical and mental scars. His father invites him to a war meeting, where he is expected to listen and observe the Fire Nation's military leaders discuss strategy. But when a general proposes to use recruits as bait for more experienced soldiers, Zuko intercedes, saying that it is dishonorable to allow Fire Nation soldiers to die so unceremoniously. By doing so, Zuko angers his father, who challenges him to an Agni Kai (Firebending battle). Though he asks for mercy and had no intent of speaking against his father, his father teaches him a permanent lesson, by scarring his son's face and banishing him from the Fire Nation for his cowardice. This episode brilliantly portrays Aang and Zuko as outcasts, showing that the primary evil in the first season is no more different than primary good. But they are treated as outcasts for different reasons, and it revolves around their definition of duty. Aang shirks his responsibility as Avatar, thus not performing his duty. But by actively standing up for seeming injustice in the war room, Zuko oversteps his bounds of authority, despite being crown prince. Aang's story shows the typical notion of societal duty, stepping up and taking responsibility when necessary. But Zuko's story shows the twisted form of duty in the Fire Nation, which promotes subservience rather than standing up for what one believes to be right.

The Last Airbender Series: The Great Divide and What Went Wrong (and What Could’ve Been)

                Many ATLA fans would consider “The Great Divide” to be one of the worst episodes of the series. Whether it was the hackneyed story or the horrible twist ending, ATLA fans seem not to agree with it. I can completely understand these sentiments. The plot was over-the-top with its forced agenda of comparing the literal and figurative great divide. The stories, the legends of each tribe, which were also not creatively named, were not very original. I mean, hate derived from wrongful imprisonment because of a crazy ritual (I mean, some people juggle chickens).  Of course, the *SPOILERS* tale that Aang made up to convince everyone that the ritual was a game was a complete sham of an ending. Yes, the inevitable alliance between the previously warring tribes was foreshadowed in the battle, but the reason for this peace was ridiculous. I know that the ATLA team has used deus ex machina to get out of some jams (haters of the LoK ending can certainly attest to that), but this story may be the most egregious case of this because it does absolutely zero in terms of character or plot development. But I think this is the largest problem of this episode. It had no bearing on any other episode. In the “The Ember Island Players”, the actors play at this idea by merely flying over the Great Divide, because any casual watcher of the series does not need this episode to understand the story. But what could they have done to make this episode important?

                It is clear that this episode is removable. While it shows the gripes that Aang has to deal with as Avatar, it pushes them aside in an unremarkable way. This is a problem with ATLA because they are so limited with what they can reasonably do with Aang. While they have been given more reins and leniency throughout the series, there is no such thing as a “gritty” Aang. He cannot go about dispensing vigilante justice, nor can he impose divine judgment on anyone. His actions are limited in these scenarios, but what can he do? He can grow as a character. In the first season, he is still growing into his role as Avatar. He is reluctant to take charge and be decisive, something that contradicts his airbending nature. The great divide should not have been focused on two opposing tribes in the Earth nation, but rather on the struggle Aang faces to unite these tribes. If this were the case, we would not need any silly legends about the tribes or any wrapped-up ending. We could have Aang, fight within about which tribe is right and which is wrong. Maybe it could about whether either tribe is even morally obligated to be right or wrong. This forces Aang to become decisive…or it does not. They easily could have created an unsolvable problem that haunts Aang, something that causes him to be so indecisive that it ruins his entire psyche. The episode already has the scene set-up for something like this. The two tribes have very vague places where they derive their hate. This ambiguity could lead Aang to make a decision, whether it is wrong or right. He could doubt this decision to Katara or Sokka. It could harden his resolve. Creating a problem like this would have turned the Great Divide from a bad episode, into the turning point of the series.

                Of course, the question is, how does this affect the rest of the series? Much of the first season is Aang growing into the role of Avatar. He realizes that his actions have resounding impacts. He learns that he no longer is a representative of the airbending nomads, but the world as a whole. He has to bear this responsibility. What better way to shape this idea than by giving him problems that the world will ask him to solve? Questions that he will have to solve, but is not capable of doing so. That type of episode would have unbelievable repercussions for the series as a whole. Of course, we have an episode, which forces the issue, which has its own agenda, which shows the growing pains of a new show. Now that shows a great divide.

The Last Airbender Series: Jet and the Value of the Innocent in War

Jet represents the first truly guerrilla fighter in the War. He is the leader of the Freedom Fighters, the cliched group of ragtag soldiers doing what they can to make a dent into the Fire Nation. Rebellion groups like them are common in many movie and television wars. But it is so unbelievable how the ATLA creators incorporate such a extremist group into a kids show. There is no doubt that Jet is an extremist, and to the Fire Nation, an unquestionable terrorist, though we do sympathize with him because of what the Fire Nation did to him and his family. He attacks the innocent and will let nothing stop him from ending the Fire Nation. His most telling moment was his order to wipe out an entire village, filled with Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom folk alike. While the guilt of the Fire Nation warriors can be questioned to death, there is little question about the innocence of the other villagers. Why is Jet so willing to dispose of the innocent to achieve his goal?

You can easily go to Jet's violent relations with the Fire Nation to explain his complete indifference towards their safety. The Fire Nation army destroyed his village and killed his family. The Fire Nation as a whole is an evil entity. But his actions go beyond just stopping the Fire Nation. He will stop them at any cost. An innocent person is nothing compared to the greater goal of the annihilation of the Fire Nation. He shows this by threatening an old man dressed in Fire Nation garb and by attempting to flood an entire Earth Kingdom colony filled with Earth Kingdom and Fire Nation citizens alike. While his actions may seem extreme, there is no doubt that people have sacrificed innocent people in order to achieve bigger goals. Jet is merely trying to defeat the Fire Nation at any cost, and any life lost could get him closer to that goal.

It is impossible to determine whether Jet was doing the right thing. Should Sokka have stopped Jet from killing all of those people? At first glance, yes he should have. But sometimes in war, you have to match your opponent, eye-for-an-eye, life-for-a-life. This is how Jet operates. He is an unscrupulous guerrilla war leader. If you compare him to Sokka, another warrior who has lost a parent to the war, you could also see a sense of savagery in Jet compared to Sokka's civilized behavior. Jet has survived in the woods without a family, and only the Freedom Fighters to call his own. Sokka was protecting the tribe that he grew up with. The difference is not just in mindset. Jet is not protecting anything and is purely on the offensive. Sokka is a defensive minded person, more interested in protecting Katara, Aang and himself than destroying the Fire Nation. That is why an innocent person is not an obstacle to Sokka, but a person in need of protection.

The Last Airbender Series: The Waterbending Scroll and Iroh's "Proverb"

"Are you so busy fighting you cannot see your own ship has set sail?" Uncle Iroh spits out this tremendous line, to which Zuko responds by bemoaning his uncle's use of trite and boring proverbs. Of course the interesting part of this is that this does not actually sound like a proverb. It may carry a sagacity because of Iroh's wise demeanor, but even if it was a proverb, what would it mean?

The backstory of this line is that the pirates and Zuko's crew are fighting each other because of a reneged agreement to trade the waterbending scroll that Katara stole for Aang. During the scuffle between the three groups, Katara, Sokka, and Aang were able to sneak away. In order to escape from the feud, Katara and Aang waterbend the pirate ship off the beach. As the pirate captain and Zuko are fighting, Iroh interrupts to deliver this line. The first implication of this line is that violence has some negative effect on your focus. But what are you focusing on i.e. what does the "ship" imply? An avid LOK fan would assume relationship, but let's think about this in ATLA terms. A ship is an important piece of property for a person. It actually may be a lifestyle in a way because of the technological importance of having a fast and able ship. But the obvious motion aspect of the ship likely makes the "ship" a metaphor for an event in life. It is something that you can see, but so much can affect you actually getting to the ship. The most telling part of this proverb is that this ship has "set sail". It passed by without you noticing, quite possibly one of the saddest and most indescribable feelings you could have. It describes this emotion that you have when you realize you missed out on something. So the proverb discusses the impact violence has on your way of life. If this were a proverb, it would be warning against the ill effects of violence, or more broadly malevolence toward another person, and how it actually detracts from your life and actually causes you to miss opportunities.

This proverb almost certainly has its real world counterparts. While it is difficult to put this in exact words, maybe an example would be a better demonstration. Consider Inigo Montoya's words at the end of The Princess Bride. He says that he had been in the revenge business for so long that he knows no other lifestyle. Having invested his entire life towards the demise of a single man, he missed out so many opportunities to do something else with his life. While it is a fulfilling experience, twenty years of his life are gone. So don't be so busy with the petty things that you miss out on a bigger opportunity. Don't let that ship sail because you were too busy fighting.