Are There Enduring Logics of Cooperation in World Politics? - The Peloponnesian war

5 important questions on Are There Enduring Logics of Cooperation in World Politics? - The Peloponnesian war

What is the first Peloponnesian war?

According to Thucydides -> considered to be the inspiration for realism -> caused by the growth of Athenian power, eventually upsetting the balance of power, and the fear it created among Spartans.

What is the balance of power?

Theory is in IR suggests that states may secure their survival by preventing any one state from gaining enough military power to dominate all others.

Seeing the first state getting stronger, another state might react building its strenth to protect itself against the first, making both states more insecure

What is the second Peloponnesian war?

Might have caused as Athenians have perhaps been aught in a security dilemma, in which there is plenty of fear but little trust.

To avoid security dilemma -> states could cooperate, however, often they don't dye the prisoner's dilemma 

Prisoner's dilemma : shows that 2 completely rational individuals might not cooperate, even it appears in their best interest to do so: betraying a partner offers greater reward than cooperating with them
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What do we learn from the Peloponnesian war?

- To avoid simplistic interpretation of history
Modern lessons:
1. Be aware of the continuities and the changes
2. Understand security and prisoner's dilemma
3. Understand shallow historical analogies (that ignore certain important facts
4. Selectivity of historians (they are affected by their contemporary concerns and emphasise certain things above)

What is one of the results in anarchy when one state increases its security

The other states may feel less secure

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