Yesterday, May 7th, 2025, the world lost one of the most influential scholars and policymakers in the realm of international relations—Professor Joseph S. Nye Jr. With his passing, an intellectual giant who helped reshape the way we think about power, leadership, and ethics in world politics has left us. Yet, as his ideas continue to influence generations of students, policymakers, and academics, his legacy will endure far beyond his physical presence.
Joseph Nye’s influence extended far beyond the classroom at Harvard University, where he spent most of his career. He served as the Dean of the Kennedy School of Government from 1995 to 2004, during which time he moulded a generation of leaders. His scholarly contributions, however, were not limited to theoretical frameworks, they were practically applied in the highest echelons of American government. Nye served as Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs and as Chair of the U.S. National Intelligence Council, where he navigated the complexities of real-world policy with the same insight and depth that characterized his academic work.
While Nye’s works spanned a vast array of topics, it was his groundbreaking theory of “soft power” that truly set him apart. In his 2004 book, Soft Power: The Means to Success in World Politics, Nye introduced the idea that power could be exercised not just through coercion and military force, but through attraction and persuasion. He argued that a nation’s ability to influence others was not simply dependent on its military or economic might, but also on its culture, values, and foreign policies that were perceived as legitimate and moral. In his words, “The best propaganda is not propaganda. It is a good product, a good performance, a good example.”
Nye’s soft power concept was revolutionary in the way it redefined power in the international system. At a time when traditional power politics seemed to dominate, Nye insisted that the ability to win hearts and minds could be just as crucial as hard power. The soft power of the United States – its culture, ideals, and institutions – helped to shape the world in profound ways, and Nye’s work encouraged leaders to embrace these intangible forms of influence. In a world where military might was often prioritized, Nye reminded us that power could also be about diplomacy, cultural exchanges, and the moral authority a nation could project.
While the notion of soft power set Nye apart, his insights were never confined to the realm of abstract theory. He recognized that world politics were changing. In The Future of Power(2011), Nye addressed the changing dynamics of global power in the age of information technology and globalization. He argued that power was no longer solely about states, but was increasingly about networks, including non-state actors, corporations, and individuals. In this new world, power was as much about “power over” as it was about “power with.” This shift, as Nye saw it, was emblematic of the broader interconnectedness that defined 21st-century geopolitics.
A key theme in Nye’s work was the concept of “smart power,” introduced in The Powers to Lead (2008). Nye’s argument was simple yet profound: in a complex and interconnected world, leaders must be able to combine both hard and soft power. It was not a question of choosing one over the other, but knowing when and how to use each. In short, smart power was the strategic application of all available resources to achieve effective outcomes. This idea was critical for policymakers in the post-9/11 world, where traditional tools of diplomacy and military force had to be complemented by new forms of influence, such as public diplomacy, cultural engagement, and global cooperation on issues like climate change and health.
In Do Morals Matter? Presidents and Foreign Policy from FDR to Trump (2020), Nye returned to one of his most enduring themes: the ethical dimensions of leadership. In this book, he examines the foreign policy decisions of U.S. presidents from Franklin Roosevelt to Donald Trump, evaluating how they balanced the moral imperatives of their actions with pragmatic considerations of national interest. Nye’s framework for analysing leadership decisions is grounded in three key elements: the leaders’ intentions, the means they use to achieve their goals, and the consequences of their actions.
A particularly impactful passage from the book relates to the moral judgment that leaders must make when deciding whether to act militarily. Nye used the example of the Iraq War in 2003, critiquing the Bush administration’s decision to invade Iraq as a failure of moral reasoning. Despite the strategic rationale for regime change and the prevention of “weapons of mass destruction”, Nye argued that the moral legitimacy of the invasion, particularly the lack of widespread international support and the resulting humanitarian consequences was deeply questionable. This analysis is important, especially for those of us working in the world of geopolitics and geoeconomics, where the economic and political outcomes of military interventions often overshadow the moral calculus.
I first encountered Joseph Nye in 2018 at the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, as part of my Executive Education Program on Leadership at Harvard Kennedy School. As an economist with a deep interest in geopolitics and geoeconomics, I had long admired Nye’s work, especially his insights into how economic power interacts with military power and international diplomacy. The opportunity to meet him in person was both humbling and enlightening. I recall our brief conversation on the future of global leadership, where I asked him about the role of economic statecraft in shaping international relations. Nye responded with characteristic insight, suggesting that in an increasingly interconnected world, economic power must be complemented by soft power and that leaders must understand the limitations and possibilities of both to be effective.
Nye’s ability to blend academic rigor with practical application was one of the hallmarks of his career. His ability to make complex theories understandable and relevant to policymakers and the public made his work invaluable, especially for those of us interested in the intersection of economics and international relations. His writings on power dynamics were not only theoretical but spoke to the realities faced by leaders and policymakers as they navigated the shifting sands of the 21st-century geopolitical landscape.
As I reflect on his passing, it is clear that Joseph Nye’s legacy is both intellectual and practical. He gave us the tools to understand power not as a fixed and finite resource but as something fluid and dynamic, shaped by culture, technology, and global interdependence. His concept of smart power remains an essential framework for navigating a world that is more interconnected than ever, where the challenges we face, climate change, pandemics, and geopolitical competitionrequire both strategic foresight and ethical leadership.
Joseph Nye’s work has shaped not only my understanding of international relations, but also the way I approach global challenges. His belief that moral reasoning and leadership are intertwined is something I carry with me every day as I continue to work in the realm of geopolitics and geoeconomics. His passing is a great loss to the academic and policy communities, but his ideas will live on. As he once wrote, “Leaders are dealers in hope,” and Joseph Nye was undoubtedly a dealer in hope, a hope that power could be used for good and that ethical leadership could transform the world.
May his legacy continue to inspire us to think critically, act responsibly, and lead with purpose.
