The use of analogies in developing outer space law

Abstract

Scholars focusing on international relations generally or foreign policy decision making are now paying increasing attention to the ways in which mental constructs—ideas, beliefs, ideologies, or worldviews—affect political actors' perceptions and behavior. The influence of mental constructs in political interaction is particularly visible when actors are trying to extend interaction into new areas or to establish new modes of cooperation. This study will illuminate the impact of mental constructs in these situations by examining the development of outer space law. The Soviets' successful launch of Sputnik in October 1957 shifted outer space from the realm of science fiction and speculation to the realm of real international concerns. Governments were faced with the problem of determining not only what they wanted to do in space but also what sorts of rules for unilateral activity and mutual interaction should prevail there.

The Role of Analogies and Abstract Reasoning in Decision-Making: Evidence from the Debate over Truman's Proposal for Development Assistance

“…Explanation‐based reasoning may have an advantage when it concerns a domain in which the decision‐maker has relevant knowledge and in which expertise allows him or her to “economize” on the reasoning process (Wattenmaker et al, 1995:506). Analogies or cases, on the other hand, include a wealth of details which prevent economy of reasoning but allow the decision‐maker to grasp new knowledge by allowing it to be understood in terms of analogous information from other knowledge domains (Houghton, 1996; Peterson, 1997).…”

“…Analogical, or case‐based reasoning plays an important role in explanations of decision‐making processes in foreign policy (Jervis, 1976; Neustadt and May, 1986; Vertzberger, 1990; Khong, 1992; Houghton, 1996; Reiter, 1996; Peterson, 1997; Hemmer, 1999). However, in cognitive psychology researchers are not convinced that analogical reasoning can account for the entire scope of human reasoning.…”

Castles in the Air: Debunking the Space Settlement Prize

“…It expressed preliminary agreement on two key propositions: (a) International law, including the Charter of the United Nations, applies to outer space and celestial bodies. (b) Outer space and celestial bodies are free for exploration and use by all States in conformity with international law and are not subject to national appropriation (Peterson 1997). Furthermore, in its Draft Declaration of the Basic Principles Governing the Activities of States Pertaining to the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, which the Soviet Union submitted to COPUOS on 10 September 1962, it declared in Principle 2:…”

The Agent–Structure Debate and America's Vietnam Options: A Reply to Professor Gavan Duffy

“…Analogies at War claimed that the historical analogies they invoked gave certain answers to these questions and these answers, correctly or incorrectly, predisposed them toward Option C'. 9 Works byJarosz and Nye (1993),Shimko (1994),Rose (1994),Williams (1996),Peterson (1997),Houghton (1998) also provide evidence for the importance of the lessons of history in foreign policy decision-making.…”