Polycentrism in international relations forms a variety of centers of power and leaders of these poles of influence, as well as new instruments of foreign policy of states based on a combination of the principles of “soft” and “hard” forces. The category «soft power» is interdisciplinary, its phenomenon is studied by various branches of science (political scientists, philosophers, sociologists, psychologists, economists, etc.). The concept of “soft power” is at the initial stage of its development, its many provisions are not sufficiently deeply studied. According to representatives of the scientific community, the interpretation of the category «soft power» contains methodological flaws, contradictions and ambiguities, critical comments that are problematic. In this article, on the basis of analytical studies, an attempt has been made to systematize some problems related to the concepts of strength and “soft power” in order to increase the effectiveness of further research.
