Understanding International Hegemony: A Complex Systems Approach

Abstract

In this paper, I suggest a new theoretical framework for understanding international hegemony, based on theoretical problems in existing literature. Two versions of the hegemonic stability theory—benevolent and coercive—are discussed in detail, particularly the assumption of rationality embedded in the theories. Then I relax this assumption by referring to promising works from psychology and other social sciences, including the concept of bounded rationality. Also, I discuss the role and behavioral patterns of middle powers, which have been ignored in existing literature on hegemony. These considerations lead to my proposition of a new concept of hegemony as the facilitator of interstate cooperation in a broad landscape of state interests. A larger theoretical framework, the complex systems theory, is introduced to this new approach by focusing on significant features of international hegemony, such as local optima, the bottom-up processes, and synergistic cooperation within the system.