Concepts of Political

Science

Prof. Dr. Khalid Manzoor Butt

 Political Science
• Man is by nature a social animal; he has necessarily to
live with others. But to live with others needs regulation
of activities and interest of all.

• In a society there must be an authority or government to

enforce its laws, customs and to punish or prevent those
who do not observe them or obey its authority.

• Now such a society of human beings which is regulated

by law and authority of the government is politically
organized society, called the state.
 Explanation
• The term “politics” is derived from the word “Polis” of
the ancient Greek language. It means city state.
Political Science is primarily a science (knowledge) of
the state and the politically organized society. It is a
study of man in the process of governing himself.

• The state is however a complex organization, which

centers around two things, namely the government
with authority and law, on the other side, the
individuals with rights, duties and liberty on the other.
 Explanation

• Political Science, therefore deals with the

government, its organization, function, its authority
or sovereignty, with the relation of the individual
with the state or government, and with the rights
and duties of the individual and the scope of his
liberty or freedom.
 Definitions of Political Science
• Political Science deals with government (Stephen
Leacock)
• “Political Science begins and ends with the state” (G. W.
Garner)
• According to the French writer: “Political Science is the
part of social sciences which treats of the foundations of
the state and the principles of government” (Paul Janet)

• A Swiss writer defines Political Science as “the science

which is concerned with the state, which endeavors to
understand and comprehend the state in its fundamental
condition, in its essential nature, its various forms of
manifestation, its development.” (Bluntschli)
 Concept of State
The state as a politically organized community in
human history,

• The ancient Greeks called it “polis” which means a

politically organizes city- community, or ‘city state’.
The word politics is derived from Greek word ‘Polis’.

• The Romans called the city-state “civitas”, from which

several English words as ‘city’, ‘citizens’, ‘civilization’,
‘civic’ and ‘civics’ are derived.
 Concept of State
• The term state is used in different sense. For an ordinary
man, it appears as a sort of policeman writ large, For
Hobbes, it is a “Leviathan”- a giant whose body is
composed of the countless bodies of human beings.

• To the Muslims of middle ages the state was kingly

power.

• To the Marxist it is an instrument of class domination.

• To the Jurist it is a law-giving institution

Definitions of State
• It is a “particular portion of mankind viewed as an
organized unit” (Burgess)

• “The State is the politically organized people of a definite

territory” (Blintschli)
• It is simply as “ people organized for law within a definite
territory” (Woodrow Wilson)

• “State is a whole community of its members regarded as

an organized social unit” (Cole)
• “State as a territorial society divided into government
and subjects claiming, within its allotted physical area,
supremacy over all other institutions”( Harold J. Laski)
Definitions of State (continued)
• The State, as a concept of Political Science and Public
law, is a community of persons, more or less numerous,
permanently occupying a definite portion of territory,
independent of external control, and possessing an
organized government to which the great body of
inhabitants ender habitual obedience” (Garner)

So we can say that:

• The state is a community of people, occupying a definite
territory or country, living under an organized
government which is supreme over all persons and
association within its territory and independent of all
foreign control or power.
Elements of State
• 1. Population
• 2. Land or Territory
• 3. Government
• 4. Sovereignty
1. Population
Man is by nature a social being and cant live in isolation.
The state is an association of men living together. We cant
conceive of a state without a population. The population
of the state consist of different kind of inhabitants, citizens
who enjoy all rights and perform all duties, national who
enjoy some rights and aliens, who are given only civil rights
or property.
Plato (5040), Aristotle (10,000) generally the number
should neither be too large nor too small.
Elements of State (continued)
• 2. Land or Territory
It is the second physical basis of the state. The people must
live on a definite territory of an appropriate size. They
must not wander from country to country like nomadic
tribes. Wandering tribes don’t form a state.
When a people live together on a particular territory, they
develop community of interests and patriotism, which are
necessary element of the statehood.
• 3. Government
The people living permanently on a definite territory don’t
form a state without a government to which they render
habitual obedience. The state is nothing if there is no
government to make it real.

A people without a government is a mere assemblage of

human beings and not a political organized community.
Elements of State (continued)

• Government is the machinery or agency through which

the will of the state is formulated or expressed. The state
plans and act through the government. It is the
government that administer the state, keeps law and
order, formulate the policies of the state and organizes
the people.
• 4. Sovereignty
• Sovereignty means the supreme, original and unlimited
power exercised over all persons and associations within
the boundaries of the state, independent of every
outside power. It is the soul of the state.
Theories of Origin of State
• The speculative theories of the origin of the state are:
• 1. Theory of Divine Right.
• 2. Theory of Force.
• 3. Theory of Social Contract.

• The historical theories of the origin of the state are:

• 1. Patriarchal Theory.
• 2. Matriarchal Theory
• 3. Evolutionary or Historical Theory
Theory of Divine Right :
• In ancient times politics and religion were not separate.
It was believed that God created the state as He did
every thing else. He made certain persons as Kings to
rule others, the kings were both rulers and priest or god-
kings. In middle ages it was believed that the king were
“the shadow of God on earth”. ZELLEY ELAHI

• The theory of Divine Right states: the state is created by

the God, the kings are divinely appointed, they are only
answerable to God alone for their rule and to no human
authority. Therefore to disobey the king or ruler is not
only a crime but also a sin, because to disobey the law of
the state is really to disobey the law of God.
Theory of Force
• According to this theory, the state is a child of force, that
is of aggression, war, conquest and subjugation. In the
primitive ages a strong man or king, with the support of
his warriors, subjugated the weaker men of his tribe and
established the political relations of command and
obedience. A strong man enslaved the weaker men and
became the chief of his tribe.
• The use of force does not end with the establishment of
the state. Once it is established, force is still required to
preserve it by maintaining law and order with in the
state, by suppressing internal disturbances and revolts
and repelling foreign aggression.
• Relation between Might and Right
• The Principle of the “Survival of the fittest”
Theory of Social Contract
According to Social Contract Theory the origin of the state
based on following three stages: (Hobbes & Locke)
• 1. a state of nature
• 2. the social contract
• 3. the civil society or state
In the first period of human existence, man was found in
“state of nature”, uncontrolled by any law of human
imposition. He was guided by such regulations as nature
itself prescribed for him. They are called laws of natural or
natural law.
When the men of the state of nature were compelled to
leave it, they entered into a voluntary but mutual
agreement or contract to put an end to their lawless
condition and established a state or civil society.
Exponent of Social Contact
As a result of the contract, the individuals gave up their
“natural” isolation and joined into one civil society or state.
The following are the exponents of Social Contract theory:
• Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679)
• John Locke (1623-1704)
• Rousseau (1712-78)
Patriarchal Theory
• According to Patriarchal theory the state is the
enlargement of the family. The original family consisted
of a father, a mother or mothers and their children, all of
whom were under the complete authority of the father.

• Afterward the family split up in to as many families as

the sons, each of whom became the paternal head of his
individual family.
• But all these families remained united under the
authority of the eldest living male among them. They
formed a group of families, called a gens or clan. Later on
several clans, tracing their descent from a common
ancestor, real or supposed, formed a tribe, headed by a
chief. The tribes expanded in to a state headed by a king.
Evolution of State (Patriarchal
Theory) by Leacock

Nation

Tribe of persons

Patriarchal family

Household
Matriarchal Theory
• Matriarchal Theory states that instead of the family and
permanent marriage union, the primeval society,
consisted of matriarchal groups or “packs”. Man depends
on nature, on the fruits of forest and on the animals
killed by the pack or totem-group of men, women and
children living together.
• In primitive society, marriage and family were unknown.
Sexual relationship was prohibited between men and
women of the same pack or group. But these relation
were temporarily permitted between men and women of
two definite packs during a particular season. Children
born to the women of the pack became its member. They
didn’t know their father in other pack for maternity was
a fact, while paternity was unknown.
Continued….
• All relation of kinship and descent were traced only
through the mother. Property or private possessions
were unknown. Women were the equals of men. As
wealth was unknown, there was no question of
inequality. Matriarchal society was peaceful, war too was
unknown.
Evolutionary or Historical Theory
• It explains that both the forces and factors which created
and developed the state and the historical stages
through which it evolved.
• The social forces and influences in the evolution of the
state are:

• 1. Kinship
• 2. Power of magic or religion
• 3. Property and the rise of economic classes
• 4. War and force
• 5. Political consciousness
Evolutionary or Historical Theory
(continued)
Kinship:
• The earliest social bond which would unite and organize
primitive men into relations of command and obedience
was kinship. It is a natural relationship based on blood
and birth. The earliest relation is between the mother
and child. But when the matriarchal society was
superseded by the patriarchal society, blood relation was
traced through the father. The tribes consisted of the
families related by blood and descent from a common
ancestor.
• Within the family children obey there father and
members of the tribe obey the elders of the tribe,
related as they were by kinship or blood relationship.
Evolutionary or Historical Theory
(continued)
Power of Magic and Religion
• Primitive man did not understand the forces of nature
and the cause of their operation. He control them by
magical rites and practices. It was their religion. Men
who knew about magic and medicine became the head
of the tribe. In other tribes men who conducted the
religion rites or common worship became the priest-
kings.

Property and the rise of economic

classes
One of the most powerful factors in the evolution of the
state was the property or the need to regulate economic
relations.
Evolutionary or Historical Theory
(continued)
• War and force
War and force played a very important part in the
evolution of the state. In the beginning, might was right,
the use of force is always for some purpose.

• Political consciousness
The fifth essential factor in the growth and development of
the state is the slow rise of political consciousness. Political
consciousness means the thought or knowledge of certain
ends and purpose to be attained through political
organization.