Abstract

This article examines the concept of national interest not alone as a strategic or geopolitical necessity, but also as a philosophical conception shaped by various cultural identities, normative frameworks, and modes of discourse. In international relations, conventional realist and liberal perspectives often regard national interest as an objective determinant of power, security, or profit. This study contends that these concepts overlook the fundamental epistemological and ontological grounds that influence how nations define their interests and represent themselves globally. The article illustrates the divergent formation of national interest across various civilisational and geopolitical contexts by contrasting Kazakhstan›s multi-vector, pluralist foreign policy with the Group of Seven›s (G7) universalist normative framework that advocates for liberal democracy, individual human rights, market rationality, and a rule-based international order. The G7›s normative framework, rooted in Enlightenment rationality and Western historical context, often presents its values as universally beneficial and superior to alternative value systems. Kazakhstan possesses a strategic identity centred on cultural pluralism, civilisational dialogue, and contextual autonomy. This positions it as a mediator between the East and West, as well as the North and South. The research indicates that Kazakhstan combats epistemic dependency by providing several approaches to modernity and global integration. It employs philosophical hermeneutics, critical discourse analysis, and comparative political theory. It neither only adheres to nor dismisses existing rules; it strives to reinterpret and negotiate them according to its distinct history and position in the world. The paper concludes by asserting that national interest should not be perceived as a fixed set of objectives dictated by systemic logic, but rather as a dynamic concept influenced by cultural factors over time. This perspective facilitates epistemic plurality in international thought and endorses the validity of non-Western contributions to global order and standards.