Relative and Absolute Gains in International Relations

Relative gains refer to the idea that states or other actors in international relations may be more concerned with the relative advantage they have over others than with the absolute gains they make. The concept of relative gains suggests that actors may be more motivated by the desire to maintain or improve their relative position in relation to others than by the absolute benefit they receive.

The concept of relative gains is often used to explain why states may be unwilling to cooperate or compromise in international relations, even when doing so would result in mutual benefits. For example, if one state perceives that it will benefit more from a particular outcome than another state, it may be unwilling to cooperate or to make concessions, even if both states would be better off as a result.

The concept of relative gains is often used to explain patterns of conflict and cooperation in international relations, and it is closely related to the concept of power politics. Efforts to address relative gains concerns in international relations often involve efforts to promote mutual understanding and to reduce misunderstandings or misperceptions about the intentions and capabilities of other actors.

Absolute Gains

Absolute gains refer to the total benefit that an actor in international relations receives from a particular outcome or action. Absolute gains are measured in terms of the overall benefit that an actor receives, regardless of the benefits or losses of other actors.

The concept of absolute gains is often contrasted with the concept of relative gains, which refers to the advantage that an actor has over others. While absolute gains focus on the overall benefit received by an actor, relative gains focus on the relative position of an actor in relation to others.

In international relations, actors may be motivated by both absolute and relative gains. For example, a state may be motivated to cooperate with another state in order to achieve absolute gains, such as increased trade or access to resources, but may also be motivated by a desire to maintain or improve its relative position in relation to the other state.

Efforts to promote cooperation in international relations often involve efforts to identify and address the absolute and relative gains of different actors, in order to promote mutual understanding and to reduce misperceptions or misunderstandings.