The Concept of «Power» in International Relations

Abstract

The purpose of the article is to develop a definition of the concept of “force” as a tool for applied analysis of modern world political problems based on materialistic theoretical and methodological approaches. At the beginning of the 21st century, the concept of “soft power” became so widespread in international politics that it became more and more relevant in international relations, especially in the West, especially in the United States in the new millennium. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, there were processes in the world that led to changes in the balance of power and geopolitical integration. The system of bipolar international relations, which existed until the early 90s of the twentieth century, has been abolished and replaced by a new global structure, which has changed the situation in all countries. In this process, China, which has become a world economic leader in the second millennium, has also skillfully used soft power in international politics, promoting its ancient civilization and values.To achieve this goal, the article is supposed to solve two major and mutually dependent research tasks. On the one hand, it will be necessary to critically analyze existing approaches to the conceptualization of the problem of force in terms of their application to the applied analysis of modern international political realities. On the other hand, it will be necessary to identify current trends in changing the content and nature of power relations between the subjects of world politics.