Polity Optional Reading Session 1

Political Science & International Relations Postal Correspondence Notes

By Shubhra Ranjan

"The Republic" by Plato

Volume I

Index Page:

INDEX

Topics

• Introduction to Political Science .......................................................... 1
• Western Political Thought ...................................................................... 3
• Introduction to Political Thought Plato ................................................. 11
• Plato's Theory of Idea ............................................................................ 33
• Plato's Theory of Justice ......................................................................... 78
• Plato's Communism ............................................................................... 126
• Plato's Theory of Philosopher King ....................................................... 163
• Introduction to Aristotle .......................................................................... 180
• Aristotle's Theory of Citizenship ............................................................ 222

Page 1:

Introduction to Political Science

• Political science is one of the oldest disciplines.

• Discipline means — Be in your boundaries or norms which you have adopted.

• Political science contains the wisdom of ages.

• Political science is the master science.

Political Science

• Political Thought
• Political Theory
• Comparative Politics
• International Relations

Page 2:

What is Comparative Politics?

In comparative politics, we study the politics of developing areas or countries. For example, India.

International Relation

Political science is the mother discipline of IR.

• IR is an independent discipline.
• IR is interdisciplinary.

Page 3:

Western Political Thought

Q-1: Define political thought. How political thought differs from political theory, political philosophy, and political science?

Q-2: What is the utility of studying western political thought?

Q-3: What are "classics" and what are different methods available to study classics?

UPSC: Critically examine the relevance of the "contextual approach".

Page 4:

Political Science

"When I see a question paper with the title 'political science', I am more troubled with the title than the questions asked." - Maitland

• Political science is not a "science" in the way we consider physics or chemistry as science.

• Physics and chemistry deal with natural facts, but political science deals with humans.

• Political science can be considered a science in the sense that it is a systematic approach and a rational endeavor to understand the political world.

Page 5:

Western Political Thought

How to define "Political"

• What is the scope of the term political?

What is "political"

• The term political comes from the Greek term "Polis", which means city-state.
• Thus, anything associated with the State comes within the scope of political science.

Garner says that

• Political science begins and ends with the State.
• What all come under the purview of the State?
• There are two perspectives on the term political:

Page 6:

1. Conventional approach (Traditional way)
2. Contemporary approach (Modern way of defining political)

Conventional/Traditional way of defining political

• Conventional way to define political is attributed to Aristotle.
• Aristotle is known as the father of political science. (His perspective is importance anything regarding Pol. Science)
• Aristotle has divided human life into two spheres.

Page 7:

Human life

Personal sphere

• represent Interpersonal relation - family, marriage.

Public sphere

• represent collective life.

Aristotle while defining term political

• He said that Public sphere will come under Political and personal sphere of life will not come under Political.
• Conventional way to describe what is political is based on Aristotle's separation of Personal and Public sphere.
• Political is concerned with Public sphere and it excludes personal sphere.

Page 8:

What is the distinctive feature of "Public sphere"

• Everything that is concerned with collective life and not personal life (family, marriage).

Contemporary understanding of the term Political

• "Personal is Political" - Carole Hanisch (Radical feminists)

What does it mean to say "Personal is Political"

• Feminists have rejected the Aristotelian view of Political and suggest that even personal matters like family and marriage should come under the Political i.e., under the purview of the State.

Page 9:

Why feminists say that even personal sphere should come under the State?

• They want to point out that there is violence against women not just in public sphere but also within the four walls of family.
• Thus, the boundary between the Personal and Political, which was the feature of traditional view of Political, is dissolved.
• Thus, the discipline of political science has become broader.

The term Political today is not confined to "Public sphere".

• Today political science is a discipline whose boundaries are expanding, which include family, environment.

Page 10:

What is Political Thought?

• Political thought is a major area of study in the discipline of Political science.

Significance of Political Thought

• Political thought is the base of the subject.

Why it is the base of the subject of political science

• It is the source of basic concepts, terminologies, and the language or discourses of the subject.
• Political thought gives vocabulary, language of Pol Science.

Page 11:

Introduction to Political Thought

Western Political Thought

• Political
  • Conventional Meaning: Public sphere/collective life
  • Contemporary Meaning: Political includes both personal and public

Thought

• Significance: Political Thought found base of the subject (Concept, Terminologies, languages).

Page 12:

Western Political Thought

• There are different traditions of Political Thought.
  • For example: Western, Eastern (Indian, Chinese, African)

Why it is more important to understand the Western political thought?

• Because the basic concepts, terminologies, discourses which are used in the subject are Western in origin. Subjects are dominated in Western.

Why is the subject dominated by Western?

• There has been the "hegemony" of the West even in academics.
• This hegemony links to colonialism and imperialism.
• For example, in political science term "Middle East" is used and not "West Asia".

  

Page 13:

• Since there is a hegemony/domination of the West in the discipline of political science that at times the discipline is criticized as Eurocentric (Europe or West-Centric).

Who criticizes the discipline of Political Science as Eurocentric

• Scholars from the Third World.

Third World - Countries divided into three groups:

• First World: West/Have Imperial power

• Second World: Communist countries

• Third World (came into existence after the end of the Second World War)

• First World: West/Imperial power, Developed/Capitalist

• Second World: Communist countries (Eastern Europe)

Page 14:

• Third World = Global South (Asia, Africa, Latin America). Most of these countries have colonies of the West.

  • Lead to poverty
  • Developing Countries

• Third World also called as post-colonial states.

• Political science has been dominated by the West i.e., criticized as Eurocentric.

• Criticized by scholars from the Third World like:
• Edward Said
• Amitav Acharya
• Mohd. Ayub

Page 15:

• Scholars from Third World are trying to challenge Eurocentrism and they are trying to establish the post-colonial perspective.

Before understanding Western Political Thought, we have to understand the difference between:

• Political Thought
• Political Theory
• Political Science
• Political Philosophy

Political Philosophy & how it differs from Thought

• What is Philosophy?
  • It is the study of Ideas.
  • Abstract (which can be contested).

Page 16:

• Philosophy = Study of Ideas
• Philosophy is also a normative discipline.
  • Normative discipline means which suggests what is good and bad.
  • Normative is value-based; what should be desirable.

Difference between Political Philosophy and Political Thought:

1. Philosophy deals with Abstract (Idea) and is a normative discipline.
2. There is a huge overlap between philosophy and political thought.
3. Political Thought emerged out of philosophy. However, political thought is not just a political philosophy.

Page 17:

Difference between Political Thought and Political Theory

• There is a huge overlap between thought and theory, but thought is more specific.
  • We study Thought of a particular thinker (Individual Thinker) but in Theory we study in a more generalized way (Many Thinkers).
  • Hence, Theory is more comprehensive or inclusive.

Difference between Political Thought and Political Science

• We use Political Science in two senses:
  • 1st Sense: As Political science as a discipline or subject.
  • 2nd Sense: Political science to denote any scientific theory.

Page 18:

Political Science has evolved into two stages:

1. Traditional (till Second World War):

• Traditional means Political Science dominated by philosophical theories.
• Philosophical Theories:
  • Speculative/Contemplative (Engaged in theoretical thinking, not necessarily practical)
• Traditional political science primarily developed in Europe.

2. Modern Political Science:

• After Second World War, emergence of Modern Political Science.
• American Political Science Association (APSA) promoted modern Political Science.

Page 19

Modern denotes in pol. science is:

• The use of scientific methods, represent the theories which are scientific in nature.
• Theories are empirical (factual) based and not normative (idea or value) based.
• Theories are driven by data.
• Use of quantitative technique (statistics, numbers).

Such theories i.e. scientific theories came to be called as "Political Science".

Political Thought

• Systematic Reflection (Niemenas) on political issues represented by Political Thinkers (Plato - Arendt).
• Political thought made the foundation of the subject.

Page 20

From where we study Pol. Thoughts?

• We study political thought through Classes.

What are Classics?

• Classics can be seen as Key Texts.
• There are certain texts or secondary works which have special significance in the history of Political Thought.
• Political Thought is the base of these terms and concepts.
• But these terms and concepts evolved over a period of time, not in a single day.
• Thus, we have to study political thought as a history of political thought.

Page 21

We have to study the contribution of different scholars over a period of time.

• There may be various scholars in each age, but we have to focus on those whom we can have profound influence.
• Key texts of the most influential thinkers of different ages are Classics.

How do we determine a particular text as a Classic or what is the criteria to determine a particular text as a classic?

1. Importance for several generations.
2. Timeless Text (works considered significant).
3. Epistemic Authority (They have become the consistent source of reference).

Page 22

How to study Classics? or What is the method to study the Classic?

• Critically examine the relevance of Contextualist approach?
  • It is an approach to study Classic.

What are the different methods to study Classics?

• There are three prominent methods to study Classics:
1. Contextual approach
2. Textual approach
3. Interpretative approach

Page 23

Studying Classics

Western Political Thought

• Source of Key Texts (Key Texts Book)

Criteria to determine Classics:

1. Pattern
   • Criteria for subject matter
   • Huge significance for human life
2. Timelessness (Eternal Value)
3. Epistemic authority
   • Authorship: Text which gets reliable answers.

How to study Classics:

• Textual
  • Laslett
  • Plamenatz
• Contextual
  • Skinner
  • Pocock
• Interpretative
  • Derrida
  • Gadamer
  • P. Ricoeur

Page 24

1. Textual

   • Literal Interpretation
   • What is said?

   Example:

   • Quran / Hadith
     • Textual interpretation
       • What is written in Quran.
       • Muslim person is permitted to marry 4 wives.
     • But also called as Orthodox and Patriarchal.

   But, there can be contextual interpretation also.

   • Contextual Interpretation:
     • Why said?
     • Special historical context
       • Because of lots of warfare, many men lost their lives, and women became widows. No one to take care of them.
     • Also, widows with no dowries.

Page 25

3. Interpretative approach

   Example:

   • Quran / Veda represent revealed knowledge.
     • Not a creation of human.
     • God revealed knowledge.
       • Prophet, Sage, Rishi -> Quran / Veda
   • On what basis it can be said that the prophet or sage has understood exactly what God said.
     • There is a possibility of misinterpretation.

   Who to Assume:

   • Prophet Md. / Sage Rishi understood exactly what is God revealed.

   Example:

   • Caliphate (Abu Bakr)
     • There is always a possibility of misunderstanding a text.

Page 26

What is written in the text?

1. It depends on the reader.

2. A particular text may have surplus meaning; the writer may not have control over meaning. Readers give meaning.

   Example:

• Manusmriti

  Consider Manusmriti:

• Dr. Radhakrishnan (Brahman)

  • Consider Manusmriti is the best example of intellectual brilliance.

• Dr. Ambedkar (Dalit)

  • Consider Manusmriti is the root cause of Dalit untouchability. Put Manusmriti in Vedas and burned Manusmriti.

• It means that when we study or explain texts we are unable to find out the pure meaning.