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2023 | Book

Scope and Method Read chapter Read first chapter

Art and IR Theory

Visual Semiotic Games

Author: Serdar Ş. Güner

Publisher: Springer International Publishing

Book Series : Mathematics in Mind

Part of: Springer Professional "Wirtschaft+Technik" , Springer Professional "Wirtschaft"

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About this book

This book examines the correspondence between international relations (IR) theories of structural realism and constructivism and paintings, notably the artwork of Mark Rothko and Jackson Pollock, in a game theory setting. This interdisciplinary approach, through the lens of game theory and semiotics, permits different, enriched interpretations of structural realism and constructivism. These theories constitute an axis of debate between social and systemic approaches to international politics, as well as an axis of differentiation between scientific realism and positivism as philosophies of science. As such, the interpretations explored in this book contribute to what we know about international relations, how semiotics intersect with strategic uncertainty, and explains these interactions in the proposed games model.

The book’s use of game theory and semiotics generate ‘visual semiotic games’ (VSGs) that shed light on the debate axes through strategic uncertainty, interactions, and players’ interactive belief systems. VSGs will contribute to literature on experimental semiotics in the sense of players’ coordination behavior, beliefs, and artistic evaluations. The equilibria, interpreted through branches of philosophy of mind and theories of explanation, will reveal possibilities of agreement among players about which artwork representing the theory at hand is the best, opening innovative research perspectives for the discipline of IR theory.

Table of Contents

Frontmatter
Chapter 1. Scope and Method
Abstract
This book has started with a simple question: could two international relations (IR) scholars coordinate by forming signs of theoretical propositions through abstract paintings? To answer the question, the book engages in the interpretation of central propositions of two IR theories constituting leading structuralist lenses to analyze IR, namely, Structural Realism proposed by Kenneth N. Waltz (Waltz 1979) and Social Constructivism by Alexander E. Wendt (Wendt 1992, 1999).
Serdar Ş. Güner
Chapter 2. Structural Constraınts and Nonunıque Dynamıc Anarchıes
Abstract
The research agenda of the Discipline is context-dependent and sensitive to shockwaves such as world wars, 1973 Oil Crisis, Iranian 1979 revolution, Soviet Union’s dissolution, and 9/11 attacks. Unexpected global scourges push IR scholars to invent new theories or to change theories they use entirely (Güner 2012). One should expect the emergence of new IR theories or renewals of old approaches and methods following catastrophic events like Covid-19 pandemic, Ukraine-Russia conflict and ensuing global food and energy crises, and other present and future calamities.
Serdar Ş. Güner
Chapter 3. Art Versus IR Theory
Abstract
Abstraction connects abstract art and IR theories. The correspondence between the two realms stems from mental representation of essentials at levels of degree. An artist offers his/her subjective appreciation of worldly beauties in terms of colors, shapes, and the placement of these elements in a canvas and enjoys an upper hand in creating abstractions compared to IR theorists. IR theorists in turn analyze international political events using alternative approaches. However, an artist’s freedom in the use of space, shape, color, line, and so forth constitutes definitely a larger freedom compared to an IR theorist who abstracts away some elements of international politics to reach bare essentials of an interaction.
Serdar Ş. Güner
Chapter 4. Preferences and Equılıbrıa
Abstract
The elements of VSGs are the number of players, players’ information conditions, players’ strategies and actions, players’ preferences over game outcomes, players’ preferences over their actions leading to equilibrium or equilibria, and the specification of when the game ends. All VSGs are assumed to be two-player games of coordination. They model strategic interactions at two levels of analysis: extensive and strategic forms. Games in strategic form contain three elements: the number of players, players’ strategies, and players’ preferences over outcomes quantified by payoff functions. They are expressed by matrices. They abstract away players’ information conditions by positing that players simultaneously choose strategies and receive payoffs. Simultaneous strategy choices correspond to the condition of imperfect information, that is, players ignore what strategy choice the other has made by others when they select a strategy. Coordination games in strategic form are extensively used in studies of human coordination (Schelling 1960; Gauthier 1975; Aumann 1976; Farrell 1987, 1988; Rabin 1990, 1991).
Serdar Ş. Güner
Chapter 5. Saussurean Games
Abstract
Saussure (1916, 98) asserts that a linguistic sign emanates from an association between a concept and an acoustic image, the two elements of a sign:Saussure’s definition of linguistic signs finds a niche in visual terms. Following Saussure, I argue that a visual sign is not a painting but an IR concept the painting represents. The painting helps an IR scholar to form an association between itself and an IR proposition in her mind. Whether the painting is qualified as abstract or not matters as long as the sign depends on human senses of a correspondence in purely abstract terms. The painting becomes a visual signifier provided that it helps the formation of a mental correspondence between itself and propositions by Waltz and Wendt. The propositions find home in the realm of abstract art as a result. Not all paintings are helpful; helpful paintings aid IR scholars to nail down theoretical essentials. Scholars’ task is not an easy one because contours (if they ever exist) of artistic abstract thinking subsume linguistic theoretic abstractions.
Serdar Ş. Güner
Chapter 6. Peırcıan Games
Abstract
In Saussurean games, Row entertains beliefs about what beliefs Column has concerning Row’s strategies of accept and reject, and, similarly, Column entertains beliefs about what beliefs Row has concerning Column’s strategies of accept and reject. In Peircian games these coupled subjective beliefs are about three strategies, namely, icon, index, and symbol, instead of two. Players are assumed to know the meanings of icon, index, and symbol. They have figured out the three coordination equilibria each connected with the three distinct signs. Thus, Peircian games pose a greater coordination challenge compared to Saussurean ones.
Serdar Ş. Güner
Chapter 7. Hybrıd Games
Abstract
One of the basic criticisms targeting game theory is that players’ preferences do not change over the course of the interaction. Wendt (1992, 416) notes that “In the traditional game-theoretic analysis of cooperation, even an iterated one, the structure of the game – of identities and interests – is exogenous to the interaction and, as such, does not change.” Wendt’s remark is about finite or infinite interactions where the same game is repeated. If different games follow one another, then it is possible to model changes in preferences.
Serdar Ş. Güner
Chapter 8. Interpretations
Abstract
There are two categories of interpretations. The first category consists of broad insights Nash equilibria reveal under alternative philosophies of mind. The second category explores and clarifies the type of explanations VSG equilibria generate.
Serdar Ş. Güner
Backmatter
Metadata
Title
Art and IR Theory
Author
Serdar Ş. Güner
Copyright Year
2023
Electronic ISBN
978-3-031-32342-3
Print ISBN
978-3-031-32341-6
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-32342-3