The Bateson Game: A Formalization of Double Binds, Recursive Contradiction, and Strategic Ambiguity

We formally define the Bateson Game, a recursive game structure inspired by GregoryBateson’s concepts of double bind, feedback inhibition, and logical levels. Byblending game-theoretic rigor with Batesonian cybernetics, we capture the essentialstructure of paradoxical decision environments, where each move deepens contradiction and strategic clarity collapses under recursive self-reference. Alongside formal definitions, we provide verbal explanations and mathematical rigor to interpret the Batesonian constructs.