The Many Faces of Power

Abstract

Power in World Politics. Edited by Felix Berenskoetter, Michael J. Williams. London and New York: Routledge, 2007. 316 pp., $43.95 paper (ISBN 13: 978-0-415-42114-0). Second perhaps only to war , the concept of power has been central to theories of international relations. Yet the field contains few texts truly intent on teasing out the full range of the possible meanings, significance and impact of different understandings of power. International relations scholars have tended to explore a singular angle of power relations, such as “soft power” (Nye 2004), “balance of power” (Waltz 1979), and “power politics” (Vasquez 1983; Mearsheimer 2003). Although valuable contributions, these texts have not presented power as an essentially contested concept in which multiple meanings are possible and multiple conceptions of international relations flow from each meaning. In Power and World Politics, editors Felix Berenskoetter and Michael J. Williams present a robust collection of various theorizations of power. The value of this collection is in its breadth and depth, as the contributors present their views on power in the competing traditions of international relations theory as well as sociology and economics. Power in World Politics brings much needed scrutiny to discussions of security, war and peace, diplomacy, and economy as seen through a power-focused international relations lens. As such it is useful to researchers and students alike for it provides both an overview of the current state of IR literature on power and also illustrates the extent to which wider implications of the concept of power have been under-theorized. The core concern of the book is to fill the gap in IR theorizations of power by exploring the different ways power can be and has been defined. This is done both by bringing in social and political theory perspectives and by giving voice to the competitors of classical IR theory, constructivism and postmodernism. More importantly, the essays also …