Book contents
- Understanding International Security
- Reviews
- Understanding International Security
- Copyright page
- Dedication
- Brief Contents
- Contents
- Preface
- 1 International Security: The Historical Evolution of a Discipline
- Part I Security in Theory
- 2 Realism(s)
- 3 Liberalism(s) and International Security
- 4 Making the Quest for Security “Scientific”: Rational Choice and Game Theory
- 5 Making the Quest for Security “Scientific”: Rational Choice and Peace Science Research
- 6 Constructivism
- 7 Critical Security Studies
- 8 Human Security
- Part II The Traditional Security Agenda
- Part III A Wider and Deeper Security Agenda
- Glossary
- References
- Index
- References
4 - Making the Quest for Security “Scientific”: Rational Choice and Game Theory
from Part I - Security in Theory
Published online by Cambridge University Press: aN Invalid Date NaN
Book contents
- Understanding International Security
- Reviews
- Understanding International Security
- Copyright page
- Dedication
- Brief Contents
- Contents
- Preface
- 1 International Security: The Historical Evolution of a Discipline
- Part I Security in Theory
- 2 Realism(s)
- 3 Liberalism(s) and International Security
- 4 Making the Quest for Security “Scientific”: Rational Choice and Game Theory
- 5 Making the Quest for Security “Scientific”: Rational Choice and Peace Science Research
- 6 Constructivism
- 7 Critical Security Studies
- 8 Human Security
- Part II The Traditional Security Agenda
- Part III A Wider and Deeper Security Agenda
- Glossary
- References
- Index
- References
Summary
Rational choice theory is a social theory of decision-making that assumes individuals, groups, organizations, and states are strategic actors and thus make rational choices based on their preferences, available information, and the expected outcomes of their actions. The theory is based on the Enlightenment idea that individuals are autonomous and should seek their own self-interest, and that we can determine how an individual should behave by understanding how they might best maximize the utility of their decisions. Game theory is an approach within the rational choice framework that models mathematically the mutual best responses of each player according to their preference orderings.
Keywords
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- Information
- Understanding International SecurityTheory and Practice, pp. 60 - 82Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2025
References
Primary Sources
Fearon, James D. (1995) “Rationalist explanations for war,” International Organization, 49 (3), pp. 379–414.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jervis, Robert (1988) “Realism, game theory, and cooperation,” World Politics, 40 (3), pp. 317–349.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Snidal, Duncan (1985) “The game theory of international politics,” World Politics, 38 (1), pp. 25–57.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Secondary Sources
Morrow (, James D. 1994) Game theory for political scientists. Princeton University Press.Google Scholar
Wolford, Scott (2019) The politics of the First World War: A course in game theory and international security. Cambridge University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
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