What is political theory? For honours students

  

WHAT IS THEORY?

The word "theory" derives from Greek word "Thoria" which means spectator.

Theory is a set inception prepositions are accepted facts that atoms provide rational explanation of cause and effect relationships among a group of observed phenomenon.

Theory stands for a systematic knowledge of a particular phenomenon.

WHAT IS POLITICAL THEORY??

The word political mainly refers to power or authority. It is something related to a polity that is public, as distinguished from private or something applicable to a limited number of persons..

POLITICAL THEORY

It denotes a systematic knowledge of political phenomena. Political theory is a personal endeavor to understand and experience the present political reality and also to evolve a mechanism in order to transcend the present imperfect society leading to perfection and a more just order. Thus, includes a study of the evolution, nature, composition need and purpose of the government apparatus and also an understanding of human perception and nature and it's relationship with large community.

DEFINATION

The word theory is like a blank cheque whose value is it's utility and the way in which it is put into practice::: Catlin.

Arnold Brecht:: theory as a proposal which is expressed in terms of some data and supports some ideas

Andrew Hecker writes in his political theory that theory has broadly two meanings. One of the meanings can be closely related with traditional political approach (history of political ideas), while the other with modern (modern political behavior and it's scientific study).

Political Theory is a network of concepts and generalisations about political life involving ideas, assumptions and statements about the nature, purpose and key features of government, state and society about the political capabilities of the human beings"(David Held)

WHAT ARE THE TYPES OF POLITICAL THEORY??

Types of political theory

There are mainly two types of political theories viz.., NORMATIVE or PRESCRIPTIVE and EMPIRICAL DESCRIPTIVE theories.

NORMATIVE THEORIES:: implies systematic thinking about the purpose of government. It is a kind of practical philosophy as it relates to government. It chooses not to concern itself with what was and is but prefers to contemplate on what ought to be. Normative theory focuses attention on ethical questions or values viz.., good order society, ends of the state etc.

It is prescriptive and value loaded..

Plato's Republic, Aristotle's politics, Rousseau's social contract etc.

EMPIRICAL THEORIES:: it generally concerned with things like structure, political process etc.. as they are. It want to study politics by focusing attention on the individual and group behavior and also what goes on in political processes and within political institutions.

Empirical theory based upon observation.

It is descriptive and value free.

Graham Wallas's "Human Nature in politics"(1908).

Arthur Bentley's "Process of Government"(1908)etc.

DECLINE OF POLITICAL THEORY

It is generally claimed that the decline of normative political theory(value oriented) set in with the advance of science in modern world and the revolutionary achievements of science and technology.

In the middle of the 20th century, many observers were ready to write an obituary on political theory.

Some spoke of its decline(Cobhan, Easton)

Some proclaimed it's death(Lastett, Dahl)

One referred to political theory being in the doghouse(Riemer)

David Easton- Historicism, moral relativism and scienticism, the crave for science and lastly hyper factualism.

 Alfred cobban-   Bureaucracy and military organization and machines are external conditions which gave a serious setback to political theory.

Dante Germanio -In his 'Beyond Ideology: The revival of political theory' identified two major causes of the decline of political theory- 1.the rise of positivism which lead to the craze for science. 2. The prevalence of political ideologies culminating in Marxism.

 Isaiah Berlin and S M lipset-    Attribute the decline of normative political theory to the triumph of the democratic social revolution in the west.

REVIVAL OF POLITICAL THEORY..

 Political theory in the traditional sense was alive in the works of Ardent, Theodore Adorno, Herbert Marcuse, Leo Strauss, Oakeshott etc.

Ardent(The human condition, 1958) The uniqueness and responsibility of the individual human being with which she initiated her criticism of behaviouralism.

Oakeshott (Experience and its modes,1933) philosophical analysis of experience, which resurrect the multidimensionality that was denied to experience by positivism and ideology.

Strauss All political theory was ideological in nature, mirroring a given social economic interest.