Behavior, Society and Nuclear War - Couverture rigide

Tetlock, Philip E.

Couverture rigide

ISBN 10 : 0195057678 ISBN 13 : 9780195057676

Editeur : Oxford University Press Inc, 1990

Synopsis

There is a broad global consensus on the imperative to avoid nuclear war, but that consensus provides little guidance for policy. A primary reason is the lack of understanding regarding how a nuclear war might occur or how one could be prevented. This volume is part of a series that aims to examine the contributions made by the social and behavioural sciences to an understanding of the factors that may promote or inhibit nuclear war. It builds a basis for new intellectual approaches to the subject of international security. Under the sponsorship of the Committee on Contributions of Behavioral and Social Sciences to the Prevention of Nuclear War, leading scholars here review knowledge about specific behavioural and social phenomena that may be critical in determining war and peace. Among these are the behaviour of decision-makers, the pressure of public opinion, the effect of threats aimed at deterring dangerous behaviour, changes in the economic interdependence of states and the processes of negotiation when stakes are high. The book seeks to increase knowledge, to identify research directions that hold promise for yielding policy-relevant insights and to clarify convergences and disparities between these lines of research. It is hoped that a critical distillation of such knowledge can offer a basis for developing clearer knowledge and, consequently, better advice for preventing nuclear war.

A propos du livre

Présentation de l'éditeur

In the last year the world has witnessed changes in East-West relations that would have been unthinkable only a short time ago. The Berlin Wall has crumbled, Eastern Europe has thrown out its authoritarian leaders, and the Soviet Union itself has undergone dramatic changes in political structure and foreign policy. The U.S. public no longer regards the Eastern Bloc as the principal threat to national security. Yet even with the undeniable thaw in the Cold War many of the old scenarios for "World War III" remain as plausible as they were in the past, and new sources of instability could arise from ethnic conflicts, economic competition, or other sources. The second volume of Behavior, Society, and Nuclear War addresses the potential causes of nuclear war within the context of this changing political landscape. As in the first volume of this series, leading scholars review specific behavioral and social phenomena and processes that may be critical in determining war and peace--how foreign policy decision are made, the role of arms races, and the activities of third-party moderators. Volume Two also explores the effects of changing international conditions on the potential for the growing importance of conflicts between small powers, the possibility that techniques of reassurance can supplement deterrence, and the sources of moderation in Soviet security policy. Informed by the most up-to-date scholarship, Behavior, Society, and Nuclear War will be essential reading for anyone interested in international relations, disarmament, political science, and sociology.

Revue de presse

Timely and informative....There is hardly any topic more important than nuclear war, and the authors show the possibility of such a war despite the changes that have occurred in the world lately. The readings should spark some lively class discussion. (Robert W. Langran, Villanova University)

An excellent collection of essays...Serves as a good supplementary source for a course on 'International Security in the Nuclear Age.' (Nitish K. Dutt, Duke University)

Excellent, thought-provoking, insightful and well-written. (Dina Sspeehler, Indiana University)

Détails de l'édition

• Éditeur: Oxford University Press Inc
• Date d'édition: 1990
• Langue: anglais
• ISBN 10: 0195057678
• ISBN 13: 9780195057676
• Reliure: Relié
• Nombre de pages: 375
• Coordonnées du fabricant: non disponible
• Personne responsable: Messaggerie Libri; ufficio.anagrafiche@meli.it; ; Via Verdi, 8; Assago Milano; Italie