FUNDAMENTALS OF POLITICAL SCIENCE

Meaning, History, Political Theories and Ideas, political, Philosophers and

Methodology

Meaning and nature of political science

- systematic study of the allocation and transfer of power in decision making
- studying the public affairs and institution
- phenomenon of the state in its varied aspects and relationships.
- Paul Janet part of social science which covers the foundations of government.
- Jean bodin coined the term political science
- Aristotle father of political science

History of political science

Ancient Greece
-Clear set of antecedents
Age of enlightenment(1860s)
-Begun to be an independent subject of inquiry or a discipline

Middle ages
-The study of politics was widespread in the churches and courts.
Oriented toward understanding history, understanding methods of
governing and describing the methods of governments.
Contemporary
-Analyzing politics and making specific policy recommendations
Political theories and ideas
CONFUCIUS
-If the people be lead by laws, and uniformity among them be sought by
punishments, they will try to escape punishment and have no sense of shame.
If they are led by virtue, and uniformity sought among them through the practice
of ritual propriety, they will possess a sense of shame and come to you of their
accord
SUN TZU
-a sovereign of high character and intelligence must be able to know the right
man, should place the responsibility on him, and expects results.
 PLATO
- a state comes into existence because no individual is self-sufficing; we all
have many needs.
Classes of citizens Three parts of the soul Virtues
rulers reason prudence
guardians spirits courage
craftspeople/artisans appetite temperance

ARISTOTLE
- it is evident that the state is a creature of nature, and that human beings are
by nature political animals.
-The primary and secondary function of the state is political and economic,
respectively.
-Aristotles kinds of government:
perverted - when its rulers govern for their own private gain or
interests
aristocracy - there is the rule of a group of people whose degree
of excellence, achievement and ownership of property makes them
responsible, able and capable of command.
CICERO

NICCOLO MACHIAVELLI
- The ruler should learn when to be viscious and learn when to be virtuos.
THOMAS HOBBES
-Chaos and violence of the english civil war led him to conclude hat even an
orderly absolutism is preferable to a state of nature in which life is solitary,
poor, nasty, brutish, and short a war of all agains all,
 -Without the sovereign state, in which subjects agree to sacrifice some liberties
for peace, there is no hope of living a good life.
JOHN LOCKE
-NATURAL RIGHTS THEORY- Government rests on the consent of the
governed, so that if it fails to meet its part of the bargain, it may be dissolved by
the citizenry.
JEAN-JACQUES ROUSSEAU
-man is born free but is everywhere in chains
-man is good by nature but social institutions corrupt him
-Direct democracy is the only justified form of political decision
KARL MARX
-Workers of world unite, you have nothing to lose but your chains
-Critique of the gotha- people should be rewarded according to their differential
social contribution
JOHN STUART MILL
-On liberty- the sole end for which mankind is warranted, individually or
collectively, in interfering with liberty of action of any of their number is self-
protection.
-Liberty becomes the indispensable instrument to individual self realization.
MOHANDAS KARMCHAND GANDHI
-The story of my experiments with truth
-The science of non-violence alone can lead one to pure democracy
-An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind
Methodology of political science
Experimental method
Historical method
Comparative method
Analytical method
Psychological method
Philosophical method
Sociological method
Judicial method