Chaos theory and international relations

Employing a theory from the natural sciences to analyze a topic of social sciences is a procedure that can benefit decision makers, who can avoid mistakes by testing their decisions with the help of mathematical models. This thesis provides an overview of Chaos Theory—why it has been accepted in the natural sciences, specifically in physics—and whether it can be relevant for the IR domain of social sciences. The applicability of Chaos Theory to the physics domain is examined through the OGY (Ott, Grebogi, Yoke) method and its applications. For the international relations domain, Chaos Theory is modeled in two specific international relations puzzles, bipolarity and democratic peace, to show the utility of the theory in this social science field. The results of the model are compared with the conventional international theories of Liberalism and Realism. The comparative analysis between the use of Chaos Theory in physics and in international relations issues, respectively, shows that for the former we have controllability of chaotic phenomena, and for the latter, it is applicable and helpful. This thesis concludes that the theory of Chaos is a universal theory that is applicable to both natural and political sciences.http://archive.org/details/chaosoryndintern1094551731Lieutenant, Hellenic NavyApproved for public release; distribution is unlimited