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The Prison as Metaphor: Recasting the “Dilemma” of International Relations

Metaphors are useful for theory creation. They minimize circular reasoning because the analytical deductions derived from them are based on empirical observations distinct from the phenomenon to be explained. Much of IR theory is based on metaphors. From political realism's appeal to the Hobbesian metaphor of anarchy to liberalism's appeal to the metaphor of the market, the way that scholars conceptualize international affairs is rooted in metaphorical allusions to related realms of human interaction. As useful as metaphors are for thinking about international politics, scholars have a tendency to reify these metaphors. This takes place to such an extent that interstate relations cease to be thought of as if they are, for instance, anarchic jungles or economic markets, and the metaphor itself is taken to be the actual reality of international relations. In this article I will examine one particularly popular metaphor for international relations, the metaphorical image of the prison. The prevailing prison metaphor for international politics is embodied in the game-theoretic "Prisoner's Dilemma" model. I will argue that this model presents a caricatured image of inmate life. In its place, I will suggest an alternative metaphor of the prison based on a range of more plausible contemporary accounts of how prison inmates lead their lives.1 My intention is to consider an alternative conceptualization of international politics based on images generated from a particularly striking metaphor.