Discuss the revival of Political
theory.
The revival of Political theory. Political theory is one of
the core areas in political science. It is only in recent times that it has
emerged as an academic discipline. Earlier, those who engaged in this enterprise
styled themselves as philosophers or scientists. From ancient Greece to the
present, the history of political theory has dealt with fundamental and
perennial ideas of political science. The first modern usage of the term
‘Political Science’ was in the works of Charles-Louis de Secondat Montesquieu
(1689-1755), Adam Smith (1723- 90), Adam Ferguson (1723-1816) and David Hume
(1711-76), where it meant the ‘Science of the Legislator’. Political theory was
political science in the full sense, and there could be no science without
theory. The revival of Political theory, Just as we may speak of theory as
either the activity of theorising, so political theory may legitimately and
accurately be used as synonymous with political science.
Political philosophy provides general answers to questions
such as what is justice, concepts of right, the distinction between ‘is’ and
‘ought’ and the larger issues of politics. Political philosophy is a part of
normative political theory, for it attempts to establish inter-relationships
between concepts. It is, perhaps, accurate to say that every political
philosopher is a theorist, though every political theorist is not a political
philosopher.
Political philosophy is a complex activity, which is best, understood by
analysing the many ways that the acknowledged masters have practiced it. The
revival of Political theory , No single philosopher and no one historical age
can be said to have defined it conclusively, any more than any one painter or
school of painting has practiced all that we mean by painting.
Political thought is the thought of the whole community that includes the writings and
speeches of the articulate sections such as professional politicians, political
commentators, society reformers and ordinary persons of a community. The
revival of Political theory , Thought can be in the form of political
treatises, scholarly articles, speeches, government policies and decisions, and
also poems and prose that capture the anguish of the people. Thought is time
bound; for instance, the history of the twentieth century.
In short, political thought includes theories that
attempt to explain political behaviour, and values to evaluate it and methods
to control it. Political theory, unlike thought, refers to the speculation by a
single individual, usually articulated in treatises as models of explanation.
It consists of theories of institutions, including that of the state, law,
representation and of election. The mode of enquiry is comparative and
explanatory.
Revival of Political Theory
The revival of Political theory In the 1930s, political
theory began studying the history of ideas with the purpose of defending
liberal democratic theory in opposition to the totalitarian tenets of
communism, fascism and nazism. Lasswell tried to establish a scientific
political theory with the eventual purpose of controlling human behaviour,
furthering the aims and direction given by Merriam. Unlike the classical
tradition, scientific political theory describes rather than prescribes. The
revival of Political theory, Political theory in the traditional sense was
alive in the works of Arendt, Theodore Adorno, Marcuse, and Leo Strauss. Their
views diametrically differed from the broad ideas within American political
science for they believed in liberal democracy, science and historical
progress.
All of them reject political messianism and utopianism in politics. Arendt focussed mainly on the
uniqueness and responsibility of the human being, with which she initiates her
criticism in behaviouralism. She contended that the behavioural search for
uniformities in human nature has only contributed towards stereotyping the
human being. Strauss reaffirms the importance of classical political theory to
remedy the crisis of modern times. He does not agree with the proposition that
all political theory is ideological in nature mirroring a given socio-economic
interest, for most political thinkers are motivated by the possibility of
discerning the principles of the right order in social existence.
A political
philosopher has
to be primarily interested in truth. Past philosophies are studied with an eye
on coherence and consistency. The authors of the classics in political theory
are superior because they were geniuses and measured in their writings. The
revival of Political theory, Strauss
scrutinises the methods and purposes of the ‘new’ political science and
concludes that it was defective when compared with classical political theory,
particularly that of Aristotle.
For Aristotle, a political philosopher or a political scientist has to be impartial,
for he possesses a more comprehensive and clearer understanding of human ends. The
revival of Political theory, Political science and political philosophy are
identical, because science consisting of theoretical and practical aspects is
identical with philosophy.
Aristotle’s political science also evaluates political
things, defends autonomy of prudence in practical matters and views political
action as essentially ethical. These premises Behaviouralism denies, for it
separates political philosophy from political science and substitutes the
distinction between theoretical and practical sciences. It perceives applied
sciences to be derived from theoretical sciences, but not in the same manner as
the classical tradition visualises.
Political theory is not ideology, utopia or scientific methodology,
but an experiential science of the right order at both the level of the
individual and society. It has to dissect critically and empirically the
problem of order.
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