Reasoning of State: Realists, Romantics and Rationality in International RelationsScholars and citizens tend to assume that rationality guides the decision-making of our leaders. Brian C. Rathbun suggests, however, that if we understand rationality to be a cognitive style premised on a commitment to objectivity and active deliberation, rational leaders are in fact the exception not the norm. Using a unique combination of methods including laboratory bargaining experiments, archival-based case studies, quantitative textual analysis and high-level interviews, Rathbun questions some of the basic assumptions about rationality and leadership, with profound implications for the field of international relations. Case studies of Bismarck and Richelieu show that the rationality of realists makes them rare. An examination of Churchill and Reagan, romantics in international politics who sought to overcome obstacles in their path through force of will and personal agency, show what less rationality looks like in foreign policy making. |
Contents
Cognitive Style | 13 |
Realism | 38 |
A Laboratory Experiment on Variation | 74 |
Bismarcks Realpolitik | 93 |
Bismarck the Struggle with Austria | 121 |
Richelieu the Devoted and France | 148 |
Churchill Romanticism | 176 |
Other editions - View all
Reasoning of State: Realists, Romantics and Rationality in International ... Brian C. Rathbun No preview available - 2019 |
Common terms and phrases
allies American appeasement argued Austria behavior believe Bismarck Blanchard 2011 Britain British cabinet Cannon Catholic Chamberlain Charmley Churchill Churchill’s cognitive style consequentialist conservative decision decision-making deliberation deliberative deontological dévots Diggins egoistic emotional Empire epistemic motivation Feuchtwanger 2002 fight Fitzgerald 2001 forces foreign policy France French Garthoff Gerlach German goals Gorbachev Habsburgs Halifax heuristics high-cognition Hitler Huguenots individuals instrumentally rational interests international relations intuitive king king’s leaders liberals low-cognition Ludwig Marie de Medici Matlock Minister-President missiles nonrational normative NSPG nuclear weapons Oberdorfer 1991 objective offer one’s peace Pflanze political position president procedural rationality proselfs prosocials Prussian rational choice rational choice theory rational thinking rational thought rationalist Reagan Reagan’s romanticism realist Realpolitik Reykjavik Richelieu romantic romanticism Ronald Reagan Shultz situation Soviet Union speech Stanovich Steinberg 2012 strategic defense System Tetlock theory thinkers thinking style Valtelline Wohlforth 1996 words writes wrote