POLS 2200 Lecture 4: Strategic Realism and Game Theory
16 Feb 2019
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Document Summary
Given the emphasis on security, power is central to realists. How do realists understand or define power: power is understood in material terms, realists differ on how to define power, they all agree that material capabilities are important however. Some define it as the sum of military, economic, technological, diplomatic and other capabilities at the disposal of the state. Others see it as capabilities relative to the capabilities of the state. Another definition views power in terms of the interactions of states: a state"s capacity to influence or coerce is determined by its capabilities and also by: Power can thus be determined by observing the behaviour of states as they interact. Strategic realism is most commonly associated with thomas schelling. Strategic realists argue that classical realism"s normative analysis of world politics is too subjective and unscientific. Schelling does not discuss what actions are moral or immoral. He does not discuss what foreign policymakers ought to do.
