Since ancient times to the present, political power has always been the focus of human social struggle. The types of political struggle are diverse, such as military conflict, culture and education, as well as the religious conflicts. Usually, the types of political power struggle can be simply interpreted as two aspects. The first type of political power struggle is to address the problem through tough measures, such as political influence, and military forces. The second type of political power struggle is around the persuasion, such as commerce, culture and education. The question about the political struggle should be addressed either by the political force or persuasion is always discussed by many scholars from different disciplines. This essay argues that the political power should be properly understood as a matter that involving both force and persuasion; the political power is composed of soft power and hard power. The essay attempt to explore the relationship between the force and persuasion in the political struggle from the perspective of international relation. In the first part, the essay will attempt to form a theoretical framework based on the theory of Machiavelli, and Locke; the essay will …show more content…
In the Letter Concerning Toleration, Locke has emphasized the importance of persuasion in political power. Locke (1689, p.12) pointed out that the duty of the member in the society are exhortations, admonitions, and advices; if the offenders will not be reclaimed by the soft power, then the society has to use hard power to expel the offenders. In the argument, Lock believes that the use of political power should begin with soft power. If the soft power cannot function effectively, then the society should use hard power to stop the chaotic order and establish a new order. Therefore, the composition of political power should include force and