DOI: 10.1017/s0140525x2510174x ISSN: 0140-525X
Institutions as cached computation for resource-rational negotiation
Muhua Huang, James EvansAbstract
Resource-rational contractualism explains human moral reasoning as efficient heuristics approximating idealized bargaining processes. Levine et al. compellingly model pairwise and small-group moral cognition, but overlook how institutions serve as computational shortcuts – pre-computed agreements that eliminate repeated negotiation. These cached computations can become rigid over time, driving new opportunities for flexible negotiation.