CHAPTER ONE: How to Think About International Relations

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The Prisoner's Dilemma Computer Simulation
In this iterated online game, you are one of the two prisoners; choose whether you want to confess or stay silent, and watch what your computer opponent does.

Play through a few rounds of this game at each of the different settings: Golden Rule, Brazen Rule, Brazen Rule 3, Iron Rule. Under which setting did you obtain the best results? The worst? Why is this?


Balance of Power
This entry in the Dictionary of the History of Ideas, which is published through the University of Virginia, gives a detailed history of the concept of the balance of power in international relations.

Read through the section entitled "The Ancient World." What Indian thinker is often given credit for developing an idea similar to that of the balance of power? What Italian philosopher of the Renaissance also developed ideas about the balance of power? What are some similarities and differences between the thoughts of these two philosophers?


The Human Security Centre
The Human Security Report, issued by the Human Security Centre, tracks trends in issues related to violence and human rights abuses across the world.

Click on the brief for the latest year. What are some of the trends identified by the brief. Click on some of the figures? What accounts for the most violence? Are these trends increasing or decreasing?