Q. What is the scope of Political Thought? How do you see the evolution of the discipline?

The Scope of Political thought is about State. Through Political Thought one can learn about
the evolution of the concept of State and Government. It is about the various concepts in
Political Science like Justice, Liberty, and Equality etc. While studying Political Thought,
one studies about the various concepts as proposed by the major Political thinkers like Plato
or Kautilya.
The evolution of Political Thought can be seen in the following stages:
Ancient Political Thought:
The origins of political thought are in ancient Rome and Greece. Starting in
approximately 600 BCE, thinkers in these societies began to consider questions of
how to organize societies, as part of their broad considerations of how ethics and
how to live the good life.
From around 770 BCE, China began to experience a time of peace and prosperity,
which allowed the rise of the so-called Hundred Schools of Thought, the most
influential of which was that of Confucius. His thinking was firmly based in traditional
Chinese worldview, which saw the values of loyalty, duty, and respect as
paramount. He believed that people and society can be improved by reciprocal
treatment through moral example set by a leader embodying these virtues.
In India, Chanakya (c. 4th century BCE) offered in Arthashastra practical advice on
how to run government. He also believed that virtue in the leader and the merit of
their advisers were important. Furthermore, he also argued that the end justifies the
means, and that after using the best means available to defeat their enemies, rulers
should "substitute [their] virtues for the defeated enemy's vices, and where the
enemy was good [they] shall be twice as good". Prior to him, Manu wrote about
similar topics in his Manusmriti.
Post- Classical Political Thought:
The early Christian philosophy of Augustine of Hippo was by and large a rewrite of
Plato in a Christian context. The main change that Christian thought brought was to
moderate the Stoicism and theory of justice of the Roman world, and emphasize the
role of the state in applying mercy as a moral example.
Medieval political philosophy in Europe was heavily influenced by Christian thinking.
It had much in common with the Islamic thinking in that the Roman Catholics also
subordinated philosophy to theology. Perhaps the most influential political
philosopher of medieval Europe was St. Thomas Aquinas who helped
reintroduce Aristotle's works. Aquinas's use of them set the agenda
for scholastic political philosophy, which dominated European thought for centuries.
In 1215, the Magna Carta introduced the concept of constitutional rights, such
as habeas corpus.
Islamic political philosophy, was, indeed, rooted in the very sources of Islam, i.e.
the Qur'an and the Sunnah, the words and practices of Muhammad. However, in the
Western thought, it is generally supposed that it was a specific area peculiar merely
to the great philosophers of Islam: al-Kindi (Alkindus), al-Farabi (Abunaser), İbn
Sina (Avicenna), Ibn Bajjah. The 14th century Arab scholar Ibn Khaldun is
considered one of the greatest political theorists. The British philosopher-
anthropologist Ernest Gellner considered Ibn Khaldun's definition of government, "an
institution which prevents injustice other than such as it commits itself", the best in
the history of political theory.
Modern Political Thought:
Renaissance
During the Renaissance secular political philosophy began to emerge after about a
century of theological political thought in Europe. One of the most influential works
during this burgeoning period was Niccolò Machiavelli's The Prince. Machiavelli
presents a pragmatic and somewhat consequentialist view of politics, whereby good
and evil are mere means used to bring about an end, i.e. the maintenance of political
authority. Thomas Hobbes, well known for his theory of the social contract, goes on
to expand this view at the start of the 17th century during the English Renaissance.
Age of Enlightenment:
During the Enlightenment period, new theories about what the human was and is
and about the definition of reality and the way it was perceived, along with the
discovery of other societies in the Americas, and the changing needs of political
societies (especially in the wake of the English Civil War, the American
Revolution and the French Revolution) led to new questions and insights by such
thinkers as Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Montesquieu and John Locke.
These theorists were driven by two basic questions: one, by what right or need do
people form states; and two, what the best form for a state could be.
Industrialization
The Industrial Revolution changed societies dramatically. As a consequence, Karl
Marx and Friedrich Engels became the first theorists of Marxism and Communism.
Their ideas were further developed by Vladimir Lenin, leading to the ideology
of Leninism, and Stalin, leading to Marxism-Leninism, practiced in the Soviet
Union and later allied countries. As industrialisation enabled the rise of colonialism,
this was accompanied by the ideology of Imperialism. Later, anti-
imperialist ideologies would counter this, such as Gandhism and Nasserism.

Topic: Introduction to Political Thought- Meaning, Classification

Political thought is the account, analysis, expression, and evaluation of the philosophies of
the philosophers of a political custom. It is a custom in as distant as it comes to us as a body
of thought. It is the sum-total of what stays on, and an accumulation of what is changed and
what continues. It is the sum-total of thoughts on matters relating to politics, state and
government as expressed through the thinkers. It is historical in nature because it is described
as history.
Political thought is primarily the revise of the state. It studies society insofar as society
powers the state as political life and social life, though self governing is inter-dependent.
Likewise, it focuses on economic institutions and procedure insofar it powers the political
order and procedure. It also takes into consideration ethical questions for ultimately it is
concerned with a presently and good political order. Political thought is a historical narrative,
descriptive to a big extent.
Feature Characteristics of Western Political Thought:
1. It is a classic because it is a "class" through itself, "a work of the first rank and of
acknowledged excellence". The classics in political thought contain the works of
Plato to that of Marx. The word 'classics' signify 'a conversation of several voices', 'a
dialogue' flanked by dissimilar perspectives and interpretations of reality as a work.
2. They are timeless because they live in all times and live beyond their own time. They
are timeless because they are relevant in all ages past, present and future. They are
timeless because they highlight troubles which are troubles for all times to come:
corruption in politics had been a problem in Plato's times, and it is a problem even
today. The works are timeless because they deal with issues confronting every age
3. The political texts have contributed a great deal to the development of the dedicated
language, expressed through languages, symbols, concepts and has become the
vocabulary of political, philosophy. The concept of 'common will' used through
Rousseau is an instance of such vocabulary. The languages such as 'state of nature',
'civil society' and the like are other examples. These works in politics through
numerous philosophers have enriched our literature.

Relevance of Western Political Thought

It is the embodiment of the writings of numerous political philosophers. These writings are
works in the field of Political Science which have stood the test of time. They have survived
through ages because of their intrinsic worth. They wield great power, and are, basically,
suggestive. The works of political thought are outstanding not because they are universally
praised. In information, they are neither praised nor denounced. Plato is rated extremely high
through some who go to the extent of saying that all subsequent philosophy is a footnote to
Plato, while others such as Popper, Crossman and winspear, condemn him as fascist,
totalitarian, and enemy of democracy.
Machiavelli, to take another instance, has been denounced through Catholic writers such as
Butterfield, but has been admired through secular scholars such as Allen, Gramsci, and
Wolin. These works on political thought flourish because they are continuously studied,
interpreted, and discussed; each subsequent reading provides a new and fresh orientation.
They are a great aid to thinking. It is in this sense that they are suggestive. Plato does not
impose his 'communistic devices for acceptance, but lie do stimulate our mind and reactivate
it to think other possible devices.
They are not only suggestive, but are essentially inspirational. In relation to the importance
of the western political thought, Sheldon Wolin writes: "In teaching in relation to the past
theories, the theorist is occupied in the task of political unitation, that is of introducing new
generations of the students to the complexities of politics and the efforts of the theorist to
confront its predicaments, of developing the capability for discriminating judgment, and of
cultivating that sense of significance... which is vital to the scientific enquiry but cannot be
furnished through scientific methods, and of exploring the methods which new theoretical
vistas are opened." Dilthey also says; "In learning classics, we construct our life experience
with the aid of experiences of the great thinkers. Communication with their experiences
enriches our own experience. After all, did not Karl Marx write: only music can awaken the
musical sense in man?" The great custom of Western political theory from Plato to Hegel
deals exhaustively with the major contradictions and dimensions of the political procedure.
Their importance is exhibited through the information that though they were primarily
concerned with the immediate troubles besetting their modern situation, yet they were able to
transcend their localism. In the procedure they were able to give a framework of analysis that
would enrich other eras as well through their penetrating insights and thoughtful reflections
on perennial troubles of politics, power, power, legitimacy, equity, and order.
They are masterpieces as they do not belong to any one civilization, culture, or time but
cherished through the whole humankind.