Cooperative Game Theory Mobilized for Peace

How can cooperative game theory contribute to the prevention of wars? Some scholars who appreciate cooperative game theory express frustration at the paucity of its applications. Yet, some small changes in the theory, particularly enabling small changes in games, may change both the theory and the games for the better. Abstaining from playing risky games is clearly commendable, and so is the search for peaceful means for the prevention of playing risky games. Games that tend to discourage cooperation and to promote war are better not played. It has been seen that so far, cooperative game theory, namely, the theory of games with perfectly enforceable contracts, has no significant use. It will be more useful, however, particularly for social planners, if it is armed with a toolkit for the choice of games to play in order to promote peace and cooperation, and for the choice of games to avoid playing for the same reason. Also, integrating cooperative game-theory into the social sciences may encourage study of the conditions that help promote peace and cooperation. In addition, it is commendable to import these achievements of non-cooperative game theory to cooperative game theory. The application of the theory of Nash equilibrium, mutatis mutandis, to cooperative game theory, may help prevent playing games that may incite war.