The Positivist Research Agenda of Soft Power: A Critical Review

Abstract

The discourse on soft power within international relations (IR) is rife with contention, particularly regarding its definition. Admittedly, the question of defining soft power bears the foundational implication of demonstrating its very existence as in contrast to hard power in international politics. Scholars engage in a seemingly endless debate over what exactly constitutes soft power, often at odds with each other. This ongoing quest has birthed a veritable cornucopia of terminologies, resulting in a confusing mishmash of concepts that frequently overlap and contradict each other. Implicit in this academic fracas is the positivist assumption that soft power is an objective reality awaiting decipherment through conceptual dissection. However, rather than elucidating the nature of soft power, this collective effort has engendered confusion, hindering scholarly progress. The proliferation of terminologies has only served to obfuscate the matter further. In light of this shortcoming, a different, non-positivist approach to soft power is warranted for a better understanding, circumventing the conceptual conundrums of the positivist agenda.