A Critical Approach to Soft Power

Abstract

The concept of soft power has been widely used since it was first coined by Joseph Nye in the 1990s. Since then, academics and politicians have addressed this ‘new’ approach to power and states have built their strategies according to this concept. Yet, this concept has also been criticised and this work will contribute to these criticisms. While it explains what soft power is and its instruments are, it also aims to argue its limitations under three headings: originality of soft power, immeasurable nature of soft power and its excessive focus on agent.