Introduction To Political Theory || Political Science Assignment || Delhi University 1st Year Semester 1 || Political Science Discipline
Introduction to Political
Theory
“Just because you do not
take interest in politics does not mean politics wont take interest in you’’
Politics is the set of
activities that are associated with making decisions in groups, or other forms
of power relations between individuals, such as the distribution of resources
or status. Whereas, theory is referred to as set of interrelated concepts,
definitions and prepositions that presents a systematic view of events or
situations by specifying relationships among variables in order to explain and
predict the events or the situations. But by political theory we do not mean
simply the study of the state, for politics is far wider than the state. It
takes account of activity that focuses on the state – like parties, for
example, which in liberal democracies are not part of the state, but seek through
elections to become the government. Nor is politics simply about activities
that focus on the state. It is about conflict, and conflict occurs at every
level of society – between nations and states, within trade unions, businesses,
families, churches. There can even be conflict within an individual – whether
to eat cake or chocolates – and this too is politics although not a
particularly profound example of it. However, the overall point is important.
Politics is about conflict and its resolution, and resolving conflicts of
interest occurs in all societies, at all levels. Students of politics often
believe that politics can be studied without theory. They take the view that we
can focus upon the facts without worrying about general ideas, but we should
never underestimate just how important theories and theorists are to
politicians.
Every
thinker have their different aspects and opinions about politics as they all
belong to different time periods and we very well understand that in different
time periods, society and people living in different time periods used to have
different ideologies of being governed and to govern.
So, in this document, I
shall be trying my best to explain the concept of political theory as well as
the various ideologies and opinions presented by different political scholars and thinkers
about politics and theory as well as their relationship with its relevance.
What is Political Theory?
2.1 What is Political?
The term ‘Political’ have various meanings. To
begin with, by keeping the meaning simple and brief, it means something
connected with politics and the government.
It also refers to the collective power to make
decisions about every aspect of the good life in community. Here, the decision
making is done in collaborative manner with consent of others who are likely to
get affected by the particular decision.
ARISTOTLE, who is known as the father of
politics describes politics as ‘men by nature is a political animal.’ What he
meant by the statement is that all the needs and desires of men can be
fulfilled by the society itself. Men can enjoy his life by only being member of
a community which further implies that state, which is a part of society and
community is inter related. Politics is about making agreements between people
so that they can live together in groups such as tribes, cities or countries.
In 1651, Thomas Hobbes, the great English
philosopher, wrote ‘Leviathan’, a book about politics. Hobbes wrote that
people living in groups often give up some of their rights in exchange for some
protection from a government.
The meaning of the term ‘political’ can be
understood through the following points-
(a) the collective power to make decisions about
every aspect of the good life in the community.
(b) the power of some groups to control or
subordinate others in order to realize not the good of the entire community but
their own narrow interests.
(c) the state power which is used to realize the
common good and uphold the moral values.
(d) the state power which is used to exercise
domination by one group over others.
Thus, today we used the term ‘political’ in each
of the above points and as both an empirical and normative concept.
2.2 What is a Theory?
The word ‘theory’ has been derived from the
Greek word ‘theoria’ which means ‘to look at’/ ‘contemplation’ or
‘speculation’.
Theory is
defined as a supposition or a system of ideas intended to explain something
especially one based on general principles independent of the thing to be
explained.
It is an account of world which goes beyond what
we can see and measure. It embraces a set of interrelated definitions and
relationships that organizes our concepts of and understanding of the empirical
world in systematic way.
It is generally considered as a separate branch
of political science.
Political theory is an ethical theory about the
law and the government. This term is often referred to as general view, or
specific ethnic, political belief or attitude, thought about politics.
It is
closely related to the nature of state, the authority, the structure of the state,
the interaction of the state with its environment.
Political
theory also relates with the works of political thinkers. But, this tends it to
mean more of political thought. Some equate political theory with political
science and political philosophy. Dwelling on the nature of political theory,
George Catlin significantly observed that “The theory (of politics) itself is
divided into political science and political philosophy.
A theory is a form of
systematic reflection with 5 features-
a.
Conceptual sensitivity,
b.
Rational structure,
c.
Aspiration for a humanly achievable truth and objectivity,
d.
Generality
e.
An explicit mandate to unearth assumptions and presuppositions
2.3 Defining Political Theory.
POLITICAL THEORY is the
study of politics, concepts, and the historical record of political thought.
It is the amalgamation
of two words which is ‘political’ which means politics and other word is
‘theory’.
Political theory is the
study of political ideas and values like justice, power and democracy that we
use to describe, understand and assess political practices and institutions.
It deals with the ideas
and principles that shape Constitutions, governments and social life in a
systematic manner. It clarifies the meaning of concepts such as freedom,
equality, justice, democracy, secularism and so on.
Or we can say that it
is a set of specified relationships encompassing political matters that focus
and organize inquiry to describe, explain, and predict political events and
behaviors.
Nature and Scope of Political Theory
To know clearly as to what political theory really is, is to know its
nature. Political theory is said to be political thought, and that is why there
are some who describe political theory as denoting the works of numerous
thinkers. But it is not what political thought is. There are others who equate
political theory with political philosophy. It is true that political theory
constitutes a part of political philosophy, but it is only a part; a part can
never be a whole, and as a part, it remains only a part, a part of the whole.
There are still others who after incorporating science in politics, prefer to
call it Political Science. But those who insist on a science of politics,
refuse to admit if there ever had been a history of politics, or a culture of
politics. Brecht, therefore, would say, “political philosophy, political
theory, and political science are no longer interchangeable terms…, with the
emphasis placed on science and a distinction from political philosophy, political science now refers to
efforts limited by the use of scientific methods, in contrast to political
philosophy, which is free to transcend these limits. Likewise political
‘theory’ when opposed to political ‘philosophy’ now is usually meant to refer
scientific theory only in distinction from political philosophy. Any
speculative thesis that is proposed by political philosophy can be part of
(scientific) political theory only as a “working hypothesis”, an auxiliary in
the scientific kit, and not … or not yet…. as a piece of scientific knowledge.”
Political theory is not all history, but it is history in the limited sense; it
is not all philosophy, but it is philosophy in some degree; it is not all
science, but it is science in so far as it responds to reason. A political
theorist has to be a part historian, a part philosopher, and a part scientist.
Significance
of Political Theory
The
significance of political theory can be derived from the purpose it serves or supposed
to serve and the task performed by it. Political theory is a form of all
embracing system of values which a society adopts as its ideal with a view to
understand the political reality and, if necessary, to change it. It involves
speculation at higher level about the nature of good life, the political institutions appropriate for its
realization, to what end the state is directed and how it should be constituted
to achieve those ends. The significance of political theory lies in providing
the moral criteria that ought to be used to judge the ethical worth of a
political state and to propose alternative political arrangements and practices
likely to meet the moral standards.The significance of theory lies in evolving
various doctrines and approaches regarding the nature and purpose of the state,
the bases of political authority, vision of an ideal state, best form of
government, relations between the state and the individual and basic issues
such as rights, liberty, equality, property, justice etc.
The significance of political theory lies in
the fact that it provides systematic thinking about the nature and purpose of
state and government. It helps us to establish a correlation between ideals and
the socio-political phenomena. It makes the individual aware of his rights and
duties in the society. It helps us to understand the nature or’ the
socio-economic system and its problems like poverty, violence, corruption,
ethnicity etc. Since the task of political theory is not only to understand and
explain the social reality but also to change it, political theory helps us to
evolve ways and means to change society either through reform or revolution.
When political theory performs its function well, it is one of the most
important weapons of struggle for the advancement of humanity. To imbibe people
with correct theories may make them choose their goals and means correctly so
as to avoid the roads that end in disappointment.
In short, significance
of political theory can be understood on the following basis:
1. These provide the
sequential knowledge about the nature and objectives of the state and the
government.
2. These help to
establish the relation between the social and political reality and ideals and
objectives of any society.
3. They make an individual
aware about the right, duty, freedom, equality, property and justice, etc. on
social level.
4. They provide
alternative to understand the social and economic arrangements and to fight
with the related problems like poverty, violence, corruption, casteism, etc.
5. Work of the
theories is not only to describe any situation. They also present theories
about social amendments and revolutionary ways to bring changes.
4.1 Why do we need Political Theory?
Political
Theory is no easy and simple enterprise. It is an elaborate and a consistent
exercise, aiming to achieve a better world of politics.
Political
theory is more than a discipline; it is an intellectual exercise as also an
activity. It is needed as a philosophy just as it is needed as a science.
We need
political theory to have a basic knowledge of political ideals and
information's to shape public opinion. It encourages us to examine our ideas
and feelings about political activities. We can differentiate between just or
unjust reactions and actions.
Different
countries may try to protect such values by enshrining them in their
constitutions, as in the case with American and Indian constitutions.
Political
theory refers to the study of political events and ideas as well as the topics
that influence them. This includes the study of law, justice, civil rights, and
government. When studying political theory, issues of philosophy, history,
current events, and ethics also come into consideration.
4.2 Relevance in
Contemporary Times
Highlighting the
characteristic features of contemporary political theory, David Held refers to
the following:
(i) Contemporary
political theory has been viewed as the history of political thought, involving
an attempt to examine the significance of text in their historical context.
(ii) It has sought to
revitalize the discipline as a form of conceptual analysis, and in the process,
finding political theory as a systematic reflection upon, and classification
of, the meanings of the key forms and concepts such as sovereignty, democracy,
justice and the like.
(iii) It has been
developed as the systematic elaboration of the underlying structure of our
moral and political activities; the disclosure, examination and reconstruction
of the foundations of
political value.
(vi) It has been
revitalized as a form of argument concerned with abstract theoretical questions
and particular political issues.
(v) It has been
championed as a critique of all forms of foundationalism, either the
post-modernists or the liberal defenders. It, accordingly, presents itself as a
stimulant to dialogue and to conversation among human beings.
(vi) It has been
elaborated as a form of systematic model building influenced by theoretical economics,
rational choice theory and game theory; it aims to construct formal models of political
processes.
(vii)It has developed
as the theoretical enterprise of the discipline of Political Science. As such
it attempts to construct theory on the basis of observation and modest empirical
generalizations.
4.3 Critical
Analysis- negative and positive observations
By critically analyzing whole topic and the document,
I believe that Political theory as a study is very helpful and necessary as it
helps to deepen knowledge and understanding of the most powerful forces
operating on people, communities and corporations today. Also, Political Theory helps us better understand the
concepts that have shaped our politics, including freedom, equality,
individuality, democracy and justice. Importantly, Political Theory is the part
of Political Science that explores what a better political world would look
like and how we can create it. Political Theory thus frequently involves
critiques of our present political reality, and may even take explicitly
political positions. Indeed, whether we study philosophical treatises,
political pamphlets or speeches, Political Theory always involves a reflection
on one’s own and others’ political principles. The hope is that such critical
reflection can contribute to all of us becoming more engaged citizens.
On the contrary, what I find a drawback of political
theory is that everyone has different definitions, thinking, views as well as opinions
of what the word ‘Political’, ‘Theory’ and ‘Political Theory’ is. It further
confuses the people by what exactly one can define and explain these words with.
Also, the understanding of the concept is quite wide as well as extensive which
even makes more difficult to come to a certain conclusion.
Conclusion
Political
theory is a theory that is related to what is ‘political’, the philosophy and
science of something that is ‘political’. Political
theory is a never-ending dialogue. Speculation on politics will continue
because it relates to the life and values by which men live and die. The goal
of theory is to enhance our understanding of the social reality and create
conditions for good life. Political theory cannot be based purely either on
philosophy or science. For example, the meaning of justice, equality or freedom
cannot be explained by science. Similarly, the problems of times - whether they
are racial and ethnic tensions and bigotry, overpopulation, unemployment,
decaying cities, corruption, conflicts between the nations - are such that we
need every available brain to work for their solution. While the political
scientists produce more comprehensive explanation of how and why things happen
in the world of politics, the task of political philosopher is to relate this
knowledge with the big problems of mankind and to inquire into how these can
help in enhancing liberty, equality, justice and fraternity in the society and
among the peoples so as to create conditions for good life.
REFERENCES
1.
Political Theory: An Introduction by Rajeev Bhargava and Ashok
Acharya
2.
Google-Wikipedia
3.
Egyankosh
4.Introduction to political theory-John Hoffman
and Paul Graham
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