Question

Trace the growth and evolution of political theory

Answer 1

Lack of modern political theory or decline of traditional political theory has not discouraged scholars in their efforts for developing an empirical political theory. For the time being, in view of its growing nature and infancy, it is possible that it will not be hundred per cent ‘scientific’. Till then, it would be proper to call it ‘modern or advanced political theory’.

The word ’empirical’ as an adjective to political theory can also be used, but it carries certain amount of ambiguity, circumlocution, and controversy. It has also been used in the past. Till a better term is coined, the word ‘modern’ or ‘advanced’ can connote both ‘scientificity’ and ’empiricism’. It also bears the notion of objectivity and verifiability.

The impetus to develop modern political theory came from many direc­tions. The failure of Weimar democracy in Germany and rise of Communism in Russia was a great challenge to the western political thought. The people of the West had given their consensual acceptability to the basic tenets, institutions, structures and processes of their political societies.

The Marxist political theory was regarded as a great threat to them. Following sociology and economics, an emphatic attitude developed amongst political scientists. Another important event was the emergence of a large number of independent states out of debris of the Second World War. The conditions of Cold War required them to be thoroughly studied and understood, a task which could not be performed with old concepts, tools and techniques of traditional political theory. The post-Cold War scenario is also a problem to both rulers and the ruled.

Political Science had attained the status of a sub-discipline as late as in 1840s. The first chair for the study of politics was established in the Columbia University under Francis Leiber in 1858. After the formation of the American Political Science Association in 1903, further steps were taken in this regard.