Joseph Nye, the Man who Coined ‘Soft Power’ dies at 88.
Joseph Nye, a distinguished Harvard Professor of International Relations, who developed the concepts of ‘soft power’ and ‘smart power’, has died at the age of 88.
Nye obtained his doctorate in Political Science from Harvard University in 1964. He served as Deputy Under Secretary of State for science & technology under the Carter Administration between 1977-1979. He was also the Assistant Secretary for Defence Under the first Clinton Administration between 1994-1995.
A proponent of American smart power, or ‘the ability to combine hard and soft power to achieve desired outcomes’, Nye was also a key expert on Japan as well as a seminal researcher of Neoliberalism.
In 2014, the Japanese government conferred him with the Order of the Rising Sun for his contributions to the development of the US-Japan alliance.
An obituary blog post by Harvard Kennedy School of Government, where Nye was the dean from 1995-2004, cites his view of power from his book “Bound to Lead: The Changing Nature of American Power as “if you can get others to want what you want, you can economize on sticks and carrots.”
Here are some memorable quotes by Joseph Nye:
“Terrorism is like jujutsu: the small players win if they make the large player use his strengths against himself.”
“We cannot be sure of how to improve the world, hubristic visions pose a grave danger.”
“Transformational leaders make choices that others won’t.”
“In a global information age, soft power matters more than ever.”
“In a globalized world, power is distributed like a three-dimensional chess game: military, economic, and transnational.”
Nye also used his theories in government, holding important national security positions in the Carter and Clinton administrations and heading a number of international policy groups, including the Aspen Strategy Group, which he co-founded. His research and teaching were shaped and enhanced by the mix of his involvement, academic rigor, and practical government service.
According to those who knew him well, Nye was a generous, compassionate, and unwavering friend and colleague who was loyal to his wife, Molly, who passed away in December, as well as his three sons and nine grandchildren.
