From Seduction to Security: The Role of Reputation in International Politics According to Nicholas J. Cull

Abstract

This essay review examines Nicholas J. Cull's Reputational Security (2024), analyzing the transition from the "seduction" of soft power to reputation as a strategic defensive asset. The author reconstructs Cull's core thesis - that international standing is now a constituent element of state security - and highlights the original proposal of "information disarmament" as a tool for de-escalation. The review problematizes Cull's framework by contrasting it with the structural realism of John Mearsheimer and testing its validity against contemporary shifts, such as the decline of American soft power and the European Union's move toward rearmament. From this critical analysis, Cull's work emerges as a relevant and thought-provoking contribution, offering a necessary lens to navigate the complexities of the modern communicative and geopolitical landscape.