US EditionJoseph Nye, advocate of stronger U.S.-Japan relations, dies at 88
- Joseph Nye, a political scientist known for coining the term 'soft power,' died on Tuesday at age 88, as announced by Harvard University on Wednesday.
- Nye developed 'soft power' to describe how nations gain influence through culture and values rather than coercion, contrasting with the hard power approach of weapons and sanctions.
- Throughout his career, Nye focused on U.S.-Japan relations, nuclear policy, and critiqued administration tactics, advocating a patient strategy toward Japan including criticism of the Obama administration’s aggressive posture.
- In 2025, Nye told AFP that Trump lacks a full understanding of power, focusing primarily on force and financial incentives, and observed that since January, Trump has significantly diminished U.S. soft power.
- Nye’s death prompts reflection on his influence in international relations and suggests continued debate over the balance of soft and hard power in U.S. foreign policy.
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66 Articles
Joseph S. Nye Jr., political scientist behind ‘soft power,’ dies at 88
Joseph S. Nye Jr., a Harvard scholar who coined the term “soft power” to describe how cultural forces, humanitarian aid and education can be as effective in diplomatic efforts as military and economic might, died May 6 at a hospital…
Former Harvard dean, leading international relations scholar...
Former Harvard Kennedy School dean and prominent international relations scholar Joseph S. Nye Sr. died at 88 on Tuesday. HKS Dean Jeremy M. Weinstein announced Nye's death in an email to faculty, staff, and students Wednesday afternoon. Nye, who served as assistant secretary of defense for international security affairs under President Bill Clinton, was one of the most influential thinkers in contemporary international relations theory. Nye was…
The political scientist, Harvard professor and political advisor died at the age of 88. His comments appeared for many years on the debate pages of the "Press" - most recently on the day his death became known.
At the end of the Cold War, professor at Harvard, Deputy Minister of Defense with Clinton, developed the concept of soft power based on attraction and persuasion.
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