Introduction
The enduring allure of Western soft power questions simplistic “West vs. Rest” binaries, highlighting the deeper ideological, institutional, and normative continuities that shape evolving international relations in a rapidly multipolar world.
- Soft Power as a Continuum, Not a Contender: Joseph Nye’s concept of soft power — the ability to attract through values, culture, and institutions — remains the West’s strongest tool in the global arena. Despite economic stagnation and political turbulence in the West, global migration, education flows, and cultural consumption remain tilted westward. Example: Over 1.1 million international students study in the US (2023), including 250,000 from India.
- Multipolarity Doesn’t Mean Post-Western: Although power is diffusing globally — with China, India, ASEAN, and others asserting themselves — it has not erased the West’s influence. The post-Cold War Liberal International Order (LIO), while contested, still provides the institutional grammar of global governance — from the UN to the IMF. Example: BRICS countries use SWIFT, WTO, and UN frameworks despite criticising them.
- The Myth of a Unified “Rest”: The so-called “Rest” is fragmented — politically, ideologically, and civilisationally. The promise of a unified Global South often unravels due to competing nationalisms, border disputes, and differing visions of development and governance. Example: China–India rivalry, intra-Arab splits, and ASEAN’s non-alignment over Taiwan or Ukraine.
- Western Ideals Still Define Global Legitimacy: Enlightenment values — secularism, science, individual liberty — remain aspirational benchmarks even among authoritarian regimes. The continuing demand for migration, education, and even asylum in the West underlines this normative pull. Example: Global South’s elites consistently prefer Western education, with 38% of global scientific research still originating from the US alone (Nature Index 2023).
- Authoritarianism and Internal Contradictions in the East: The East’s rise is constrained by democratic deficits, curbs on dissent, and religious/ethnic majoritarianism. This undermines its ability to present a credible ideological alternative to the West’s liberal framework. Example: China’s social credit system and internet censorship versus global digital freedom benchmarks.
- The Multiplex World: Beyond Binary Narratives: As Amitav Acharya argues, the future may lie not in replacing Western dominance but in creating a multiplex order — a negotiated, pluralistic system with multiple civilizational inputs and shared rule-making. However, this requires humility, institutional innovation, and deeper commitment to universal norms. Example: India’s G20 presidency promoted “One Earth, One Family, One Future” as an inclusive civilizational vision.
- Western Crisis, Not Collapse: While Western democracies face polarization, economic inequality, and challenges to global leadership, they remain resilient due to internal correctives — media freedom, judicial autonomy, and electoral competition — which many Eastern states lack. Example: US Supreme Court checks on executive power vs. China’s opaque CCP-driven decision-making.
- The Future: Coexistence and Cross-Pollination, Not Conquest: Rather than replacing one hegemon with another, the emerging global order will likely be shaped by hybrid models — Western institutional norms combined with Eastern philosophies and practices of governance and cooperation. Example: Digital Public Infrastructure models like India’s UPI and Aadhaar gaining global traction within Western regulatory frameworks.
Conclusion
The West’s soft power endurance amidst multipolarity suggests global ideological competition is not zero-sum. A more plural, negotiated order may emerge — blending Western frameworks with non-Western innovation and legitimacy.
