GEOPOLITICA E PENSAMENTO COLECTIVO. ESTUDO DE CASO DOS JOGOS DE XADREZ E DE GO ENQUANTO MANIFESTAÇÕES DAS CONCEPÇÕES ESTRATEGICAS DAS CIVILIZAÇÕES ORIENTAIS E OCIDENTAIS. APONTAMENTOS PARA O ESTUDO DO PENSAMENTO ESTRATÉGICO

Abstract

This work explores the study of geopolitics through the prism of Chess and GO as a proposal for the material representation of the strategic conceptions of Western and Eastern civilizations. This analysis centers on the following question: does geopolitics derive from a State-oriented thought process—typical of the politicians and military personnel who study and synthesize it for practical application—or is it something more profound, belonging to the collective, which is born, transformed, and resides as a form of a tendentially collective unconscious when acting before the challenge of choice? The research design consists of a case study of the games, looking to understand how their rules, strategies, and tactics may reflect geopolitical approaches and theoretical thought. For comparison, albeit simplified in an exploratory study, we considered the works of Clausewitz and Sun Tzu, which form the foundations of theoretical teaching and geopolitical action in Western and Eastern civilizations. This study suggests that Chess, with its conception based on direct confrontation, mirrors and aids in understanding the Western approach, while GO, with its focus on the gradual and reflected conquest of territory, serves as a prism for the Eastern vision, pointing towards something more collective than what is typically taught within the Academy. Parallel to this, contemporary definitions of Geopolitics and Geostrategy are proposed. The method relied on a literature review, empirical analysis, and an interview with an expert in both games. This study contributes to the understanding of strategic thought by offering a perspective that stays estranged from the foundational teaching in Academies—unlike what has long occurred in North American Higher Military Studies. Through this lens, we looked to offer a new understanding of strategic thought, proving that its complexities can be found even in a board game from any school or street, within the collective thought of civilizations.