Overconfidence and war
Subtitle: the havoc and glory of positive illusions
By: Dominic D.P. Johnson
Publisher: Harvard University Press
Published: 2004
Place of publication: Cambridge, Mass
Language: eng
Number of pages: 280
ISBN-13: 9780674015760
Subjects: Modern Military history; Militaire psychologie; Guerre; War; Aspect psychologique; Psychologie; Psychological aspects; Histoire militaire; Oorlog; Krieg; Causes
Description: "Opponents rarely go to war without thinking they can win - and clearly, one side must be wrong. This conundrum lies at the heart of the so-called War Puzzle: rational states should agree on their differences in power and thus not fight. But as Dominic Johnson argues in Overconfidence and War, states are no more rational than people, who are susceptible to exaggerated ideas of their own virtue, of their ability to control events, and of the future. By looking at this bias - called "positive illusions" - as it figures in evolutionary biology, psychology, and the politics of international conflict, this book offers insights into why states wage war."--BOOK JACKET.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (p. 239-269) and index.
Table of contents: title: War and illusions; title: Looking for illusions; title: World War 1; title: The Munich crisis; title: The Cuban missile crisis; title: Vietnam; title: Vanity dies hard; title: Iraq, 2003.