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War and Peace: What can Game Theory Teach us?

This article explores the root causes of war and how game theory can provide insights for promoting peace. It discusses the rationality of war, incentives for peace, and mechanisms for enforcing agreements. By understanding these concepts, we can better address the issue of conflict.

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War and Peace: What can Game Theory Teach us?

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  1. War andPeace:What can Game Theory Teach us? Robert Aumann Center for the Study of Rationality The Hebrew University of Jerusalem

  2. Based on: “War and Peace” http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/ economics/laureates/2005/ aumannlecture.pdf

  3. “Wars and other conflicts are among the main sources of human misery.” • Most attempts to bring about peace have been on a piecemeal, case-by-case basis. • Suggestion: First try to understand the root causes:WHY do people go to war? • Like one studies disease.

  4. Rationality Definition: We call a person’s behavior rationalif it best promotes his goals, given his information. Can war be rational? Can strikes be rational? Can racial or gender discrimination be rational?

  5. Yes – theyCANbe! We take all the ills of the world, and dismiss them by calling them irrational. If they are rational, once we understand that they are, we can try to address the problem. If we dismiss them as irrational, we can’t address the problem.

  6. Economics(and Game Theory)in one word: Incentives Example: Taxes Example: Market Economies Example: Repeated Games – “Repetition enables cooperation”

  7. Incentivesfor Peace • Concessions? Munich 1938: “Peace in our time” • Disarmament? The Cold War • The Pax Romana: “If you want peace, prepare for war.”

  8. Barack Obama: The belief that peace is desirable is rarely enough to achieve it. -- Nobel Peace Prize Lecture, Oslo, 10 December 2009

  9. Repeated (or Ongoing) Games Repetition Enables Cooperation

  10. Example:Mutual Generosity Game Two players, Alfonso and Bob. Each one must choose between getting$1,000 for himself (Egoism) and the other getting $3,000(Cooperation)

  11. Bob C E C Alfonso E

  12. Real-Life Examples • Acreage restrictions • Fisheries • Competition

  13. Howto achieve cooperation? • Agree to cooperate! • But why will the players play as agreed? What’s “in it” for them? Why is it worthwhile? • Mechanism for enforcing agreements • Like a law court “Pray for the government’s welfare, for without its authority, man would swallow man alive.” (Talmud)

  14. But what if there are no courts? • Like in the internationalarena. • Then Repetition can provide an enforcement mechanism, • And so, enables cooperation. • How? • With an implicitpunishment strategy. • Conclusion: Patience – a long horizon – is essential.

  15. Additional Incentives for Peace • Clear signals • Credible signals • Carrot and Stick • Incentives must apply directly to policy architects

  16. “It shall come to pass that many people will say, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, and He will teach us His ways … And He will judge among nations, and they will beat their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation will not lift up sword against nation, nor shall they learn war any more.” (Isaiah 2, 2-4)

  17. Based on: “War and Peace” http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/ economics/laureates/2005/ aumannlecture.pdf

  18. Thank You!

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