POLS 2200 Lecture Notes - Lecture 4: Solitary Confinement, Arms Control, Thomas Schelling

• School: University of Guelph
• Department: Political Science
• Course: POLS 2200
• Professor: Cindy Clarke

Document Summary

Strategic realism is most commonly associated with thomas schelling. T(cid:396)ategi(cid:272) (cid:396)ealists a(cid:396)gue that (cid:272)lassi(cid:272)al (cid:396)ealis(cid:373)"s (cid:374)o(cid:396)(cid:373)ati(cid:448)e a(cid:374)alysis of (cid:449)o(cid:396)ld politi(cid:272)s is too subjective and unscientific. While values lie in the background of strategic realism, they are assumed and not explored. Schelling does not discuss what actions are moral or immoral and does not discuss what foreign policymakers ought to do: rather, he discusses effectiveness, leaving aside morality, more about what is logically going to happen. Coercion over brute force (threat of harm rather than actual harm) An approach to determining rational choice or optimum strategy in a competitive situation. Strategic realism focuses on foreign policy decision making. Game theory is felt to be highly relevant to understanding ir due to the conditions of anarchy and the distribution of capabilities or power among states. Decision-makers must operate within the constraints of anarchy and of the distribution of power.