The behavioral origins of war / D. Scott Bennett & Allan C. Stam.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Bennett, D. Scott.

Contributor:

Stam, Allan C.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

War.

International relations.

Physical Description:

xii, 289 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm

Place of Publication:

Ann Arbor : University of Michigan Press, [2004]

Summary:

In The Behavioral Origins of War, D. Scott Bennett and Allan C. Stam analyze systemic, binary, and individual factors in order to evaluate a wide variety of theories about theorigins of war. Challenging the view that theories of war are nothing more than competing explanations for observed behavior, this expansive study incorporates variables from multiple theories and accounts for war's multiplicity of causes. While individual theories offer partial explanations for international conflict, only a valid set of theories can provide a complete explanation. Bennett and Stam's unconventional yet methodical approach opens the way for cumulative scientific progress in international relations.

Contents:

1. Toward a Better Understanding of Theories of International Conflict 1

2. Comparative Hypothesis Testing and Some Limits to Knowledge 15

3. Choosing and Testing the Arguments: The Practice and Pitfalls of Comparative Hypothesis Testing 35

4. Arguments and Operational Measures 70

5. Findings 107

6. Assessing a Model's Reliability across Space and Time 165

Appendix A Data Development and Cumulation for International Relations: EUGene 223

Appendix B Measuring Expected Utility 232.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 249-276) and index.

ISBN:

0472098446

047206844X

OCLC:

52430814