In Memoriam: The Time Joseph Nye Told Me His Life Story

The legendary international relations scholar Joseph Nye passed away on May 7th at the age of 88. He’s best known, of course, for developing and advancing the idea of “soft power”—the ability to influence others and shape outcomes through attraction, persuasion, and cultural or ideological appeal rather than coercion or force. But over his singularly illustrious career, he authored hundreds of scholarly articles and dozens of books on international relations. To honor is legacy and memory, I wanted to share our conversation from way back in 2014. We began our conversation talking about Russia’s (then recent) annexation of Crimea and occupation Ukraine, and what it suggests about long held ideas in international relations theory. We then pivot to his personal story, including his childhood in New Jersey and how his entry into the world of international relations was as an Africanist—he wrote an award-winning thesis as a Rhodes Scholar on decolonization in East Africa. Of course, we also discussed at length how he came up with the idea of “soft power,” which, as he explains, stemmed from an “a-ha!” moment while sitting in his kitchen.