Paper 3 – Debates in Political Theory – Class 1

The generation of knowledge is basically seen in in political science.

However political theory is a broad discipline. When we consider
political science as a domain then did we have political science and
political philosophy in the same aspect.

However, this will be discussed when we will talk about the

distinction between them on the basis of facts. The main distinction
between them is all about empiricism. It is basically that when
political scientists blame political theorists and philosophers as more
of a box that creates pseudo knowledge.

What they do is discuss the concepts – this part will be discussed

when we will discuss the demise and rise of political theory.

Political theory explainers basically incorporate on such things and

theory is not just merely made on facts and ideas and values.

When we talk about empirical things, objectivity, or say objective

knowledge, all these are fact based.

The other end of the same story is subjective, its more of a

normative idea. It changes from individual to individual and there
can be multiple ideas for the same. Even when we say truth is
objective, however seeing and reaching truth, the process itself can
be subjective for a while.

When we talk about theory, we will basically incorporate both the

ideas.

When we try to understand the things and reality behind the scene
and try to find that out, that whole exercise is called a metaphysics
exercise where we try to find out the actual reality as whatever we
see, is not reality perse, as it is deceiving.
Science basically tells us about things that are in front of us, and that
even is limited in nature. However, the things that are beyond the
reality, that we even don’t know, and it is a big part that we might
miss from exploring and learning. Well, you can say, that we have 5%
things known by the sciences, 5% things that we know “that we don’t
know” and this thing is done by philosophy, as philosophy helps to
place uncertainty in a systematic way. However, there might be a
possibility that there are 90% things that we aren’t aware of.

If we are building a theory, incorporating values becomes very

important.

Further talking about political in the term political theory.

This term ‘political’ is a very important term as our understanding of

political will define our perspectives of political theory. It is said that
it is basically a systematic reflection about issues and things. The
explanation done in systematic way can be told to be something
related to political. However, the idea of political is very vast.

At times, people might believe that politics refers to something in a

negative sense. When we try to understand the intrinsic meaning, it
is more of a constructive value which is more about the society and
then about an individual.

We have such a negative connotation about the same because

politics refers to humans as gaining power, because people relate it
to power.

It is us humans who have always seen the loopholes in the term and
have try to make it a negative connotation.

We need to even look at concerns that we even till now haven’t been
able to address such problems.
At old times, a majority of people didn’t have money as the
resources sharing system was not even. So even if they managed to
get into politics by wielding popular support, they could not drop in
efforts to develop the nation or the society because ideas get
restrained because of absence of resources. So, people had to take
support of business men, big people, or say land lords, etc.

Talking about politics, it is a term which is very broad as it is even

talked from local stage to even global politics. The base line remains
the same, however, there can be certain differences in the idea
depending on the scale we are talking.

Classic theories basically see politics with relating it to state, as in old

times, that is during the Greek times, polis meant state. It is basically
from the time of Aristotle. He even said that man by nature is a
political animal and by that he meant that a human is a part of a
state because when he said that statement he referred to the term
polis which meant state back then.

The main goal of this was to achieve good life, be it for the state or
for a society, or for an individual.

However, in classical theories, political was dominantly understood

as state and whatever state did for the welfare and there was this
indea in which it was considered that state should be strong as it is
something that can bring good life and the understanding of politics
was something that revolved all around the state.

Then came in the idea of pluralism which meant to say that it is not
just state that can bring a change in the society however there are
multiple organisations that can bring a change in the society, and it
meant to say that state is not the institution of change in society, but
it is just one of the institutions that bring in change in the society,
and this further helps to expand the idea of polity or say politics once
again.
Talking about pluralism, it basically talks more about what state
does, as political theory is also about more about what state does, it
is also about individuals, be it ngos, and other non-state focussed
institutes.

The state focused approach refers to institutionalist approach.

Pluralism removes state from the central idea and tells that state is
just one of the institutions that wants to bring a change.

Talking about new institutionalism, it does consider that state is one

of the other organisations and the most importat fact to consider
here Is that all the other organisations come in the ambit of stae and
only those organisations work that basically get legitimacy from the
state and this state remains the primary idea. The new
institutionalism basically brings the state back in to the idea and then
when talk about political understaning we can see that poltical is
once again refered to and is connected with the idea of state.

This basically helps to create another divide, which means that the
public and private sphere is different and state will never enter the
private sphere and thus when we talk about political we will talk
everything related to state and its semi or non semi institutions.

Further talking about it, liberalism brings in this picture where public
sphere is shown as important than the private sphere and all those
things whicha re a part of public sphere becomes political and
similarly all those things which come into the private sphere
becomes not so political and similarly there are ideas and questions
when we talk about how some things can be political even after
being non political and similar all these things if taken into
consideration can be considered either political or non political
depending on the idea pursued, for example, poverty can be from
one end seen as non political, but we need to make things political as
said by a renowned feminist where she says that personal is political
and similar there are many thinker who basically explain the idea of
political from the same idea and similarly when we talk about
common interest but there is no same connotation in the same page
then there can be clashes and then deliberations have to take place
and it depends on ideas and delegations.

Whenever we try to understand political, it comes with multiple

point of views, and there are some points of views which dominate
the other, Though the difference of opinions should be respected,
but one must consider the fact that things should be done with and
for greater good and similar things.

There is one understanding where science controls certain facts and

ideas and things are done in one particular discourse. Naming things
and idea can also be considered a power dominant thing. Its not just
a nomenclature but an actual power game, and when people change
basic distinction into a power game.

Naming man or woman is not wrong, but fitting characteristics to a

particular idea is what is a power game.
Class 1 – Paper 4 – Politics in India

What is politics in India

When we talk about this we will consider the question that what is
politics and we will keep in mind that we will consider the concept of
the question in a way that it answers the question about “What is
Politics” as per an as in India.

Basics –

In parliamentary form of government, legislative and executive are

inter-related and further, responsible.

In presidential system of government, both are separated, and there

is no relation between separation of power.

Federal vs Unitary – 4 KEY FEATURES

1. In unitary form of government, power is centralized to the

government, whereas, in federalism, there is division of power
between state and centre.

2. In federal structure, written constitution is compulsory,

whereas in unitary structure, written constitution is not
compulsory, for example in Britain.

3. There should be dual system of government.

4. In federal structure, there is a need of an independent

judiciary. In India, the Supreme Court’s main function was to
function as a federal court.
However, there are other features which are not as in comparison
that is important but tend to be a part of an optional case.

Why did we choose this federal structure? Because India is full of

diversities, and to maintain the diversity along with unity, this was
very much needed, so India had to take up this feature.

So, we can say that this was more of a compulsion.

Major sections of liberty

 Positive vs Negative liberty

 Mill’s understanding of Liberty
 Short note on Moral Freedom of Kant, Ancient v/s Modern
notion of liberty, Mc Kinnon’s perspective/understanding of
liberty where he criticizes Berlin
 Republican Idea of Freedom
 Berlin, Mill, Republican Freedom, +ve -ve liberty

Ajita Madam in room no 17 to solve issues related

215 Pancham Mam – for prev year questions
Dept head shakti mam
You get 6-8.
Constitutionalism –

It refers to “limiting the powers of the government”. It refers to

closely relating the system with the rule of law. For example, if we
talk about an example of constitutionalism in India, we can talk
about Fundamental Rights, as it limits the state, that is limited
power.

It is article 13 that restricts the government as it says that any law

that is passed without keeping FR in mind and that which violates the
FR, that law will be considered null and void.

The concept of constitutionalism is relative, as it depends on country

to country, be it Soviet constitutionalism, European
constitutionalism, etc. However, there will be some common
features and also if there is no democracy, then it would be more
than hard to imagine constitutionalism.

The constitution that we had before were more of king oriented

rather than people oriented, so it made difficult for the constitution
to follow.

The idea of constitution given by Dicey was basically on British

constitution. However, we can quote Dicey when we quote rule of
law.

Another factor is the balance of powers or say, separation of powers.

So some key words are –

Rule of Law || Democracy || Separation of Power || Limited

Government

Laski, Dicey, Tylor have quoted about constitutionalism.

Rajeev Bhargava has quoted on Indian Constitutionalism.

Constitutionalism – Rights and Accountibility

Rights can only be demanded when we talk about places where we

have democracy. Otherwise, it is difficult to ask for rights, because it
can be provided by the constitution and can be secured and
protected by the states.

Constitutionalism is more than a feeling, an emotion that basically

questions the roots of limitations to enhance the liberty and freedom
along with rights that is very much needed in a society to be stable.