Paul Robinson on Cooperation, Punishment and the Criminal Justice System

Paul Robinson talks with host Russ Roberts the ideas in his book, Pirates, Prisoners and Lepers. He argues that without government sanctions or legislation there is an evolutionary drive to cooperate even in life-and-death situations. In such situations private punishment and norms play a crucial role in sustaining cooperative solutions. The last part of the conversation deals with the criminal justice system and how attitudes toward the system affect society-wide cooperation and crime.