Question

writing essay on the usages
of political Theory

Answer 1

Political theory is a subdivision of the study of politics. It is a contested expression in that political theorists have failed to reach a consensus on an all-encompassing definition as any such definition is bound to alienate someone. Theorists have tried to bring some exactness to the contested concepts so that one can provide convincing arguments for the particular social arrangements aimed. However, John Plamenatz defined political theory as the systematic thinking about the purposes of government (Farrelly, 2004). The expression Political Theory is composed of two words, ‘Politics’ and ‘Theory’. Politicsliterally means the study of politics and it is about conflict of interest and its resolution which occurs at every level of the society. Theory is anything from a plan to a piece of abstract knowledge. In academic discourse, however, a theory is an explanatory proposition, an idea or set of ideas that in some way seeks to impose order or meaning upon phenomena (Heywood, 2004). This paper therefore seeks to discuss what political theory is.

Answer 2

Political theory is the categorization of social thought by a group or by the persuasion or beliefs of a geo-political mass. Many political theories are founded as critiques toward existing political, economic and social conditions of the theorist’s time. Political theory can also be considered as a critical tradition of discourse that provides a reflection on collective life, the uses of collective power, and resources within a collectivity. The emphasis of political theory changes over time. As you will read, there are many different elements that create the foundation for theoretical analysis towards political science. From Thucydides to Chomsky, from the Hellenic to Australasian, from Hitler through to Che.