POLITICAL THOUGHT (Indian and western)

Political Theory and Political Thought

Political theory: It is a broader topic consisting of explanations, critical analysis, examination
and in depth study of various political concepts like liberty, equality, justice, sovereignty, state,
ideologies etc. Further the political theory explains that how these concepts evolved with time
and it also views of different thinkers on it i.e., political thought.

Political thought: Simply says, it is the study of various political thinkers and how they put forth
different political concepts, their theories, analysis of their thought in the context of their lifetime
and the present as well. Example. Plato, Aristotle, Marx, Gandhi, Rawls, Locke, J.S.Mill, Hegel,
Hannah Arendt etc.

Political Thought generally is the thinking on an age, understanding ideas with reference to
the time and space. For example: Ancient Indian Thought, Modern Western Thought.
Whereas, Political theory is the explanation of a phenomenon, so political is explanation of a
political phenomenon.
Political theory is an umbrella term tough, at times all philosophical and scientific theories fall
under it.
Political theory deals with the root concept behind the political thought. It’s all about
understanding of how to orchestrate the framework of our political system so that its policy is
optimized to best extrapolate in a logical and functional way. A typical politician won’t
understand political theory in the same way as a political visionary will.

Political Thought:

Political thought is something an individual can think and spread. It may not scientifically
proven, but it may be believed by one or more than one people. Just like in Communism, Mao
Zedong's thoughts are stated as Maoist Communism. Lenin’s political ideas

Political Theory:

Political theory is something which is proven or analytically observed and theorists had accepted.
It's usually an individual's believe. Like the Political Theory by Aristotle, Plato, Locke etc.

Differences between Political Theory and Political Thought

Political Philosophy or Political Theory Political Thought
Broader Scope, which includes all aspects Narrower scope,
Umbrella term and Tough to understand Views of various scholars
Explanation of a Phenomenon Thinking of an age, time and space
In depth study of various concepts Simply studying the concepts as explained by
various thinkers
Root of political thought Fruit of Political Theory
Commonly accepted principles Individual thinking, may be accepted or
criticized
Political Thought and Political Philosophy
i. Political Thought and Political Philosophy are the mirrors of the society which reflects
the social, political and economic conditions of the then period.
ii. Political Thought is a broader concept which includes Political Philosophy of many
Thinkers.
iii. The Greeks were undoubtedly the first important political thinkers, who established that
Man was a Social Animal both by nature and necessity.
The Contributions of Greek Political Thinkers to the World
i. The Greek Political Thinkers, first time in the history of the World, discussed many
complicated and Political issues. i.e., in a more detailed manner.
ii. It was the Greeks who firstly explained the relation of an individual with the state
iii. They also discussed about what should be duties and responsibilities of an ideal ruler.
iv. They further explained the issue of whether an individual had the right to hold family
and property?
v. Under what circumstances an individual had the right to raise a revolt against the state?
Political Philosophy and Significance of State
i. Human beings are Rational as well as a Social Animals.
ii. They have always an inner instinct of understanding themselves and the world around
them.
iii. This inherent feeling had enabled them to discover and study social and physical
sciences.
iv. Gradually the human beings have understood that obedience to laws is a condition
precedent for their progress and the fullest expression of their Personality
v. Human beings have realised that only by being a member in society alone they can
progress and their problems can be solved.
vi. Only by being a member in the Society they can learnt to obey laws and respect feelings
of others.
vii. It is also established as a fact by the Political Philosophy that State is as old as the
history of mankind itself though it might have differed in name, nature, character and
functions.
viii. It is also understood that the society existed prior to state.

Salient Features of ancient Western Political Thought

 1. Exclusively Political Character of Treatise:
The ancient Western Political Thought varies from the Political Thought of other ancient
countries like Egypt, Babylonia, Syria, Persia, India, China etc., formed treatise of purely
political nature. On the other hand ancient civilizations the political ideas were inter-mixed with
mythology and religious literature. For example in India the Ramayana, Mahabharata,
Manusmriti, deal with political problems which are not totally political treatises. They were
mainly religious works in which political ideas were inter- mixed with religion and mythology
and has to make special efforts to distinguish the politics form religion. In the case of Greek and
other western Political Thought explained about the existence of number of independent treatises
which are meant to study mainly the political problems.
2. Main Concentration on Nature of State:
‘One of the important features of the ancient Western Political Thought was that it related
itself mainly with the nature of the state and the concept that man is a political animal. The
Greek writers did not reflect themselves with the problems relating to the relations between the
State and Church, or State and Industry which was the part of political thought of later thinkers.’
When they consider man as a social animal they did not consider him as an isolated and
independent individual and tried to understand him in relation to the social whole viz., the state.
And the state become the centre of Greek political thinkers. They discussed the origin and end
of the state and distinguished between various forms of states like Monarchy. Aristocracy,
Oligarchy, Democracy, Tyranny etc. they also highlighted the points that forms of government,
determine the order in which the changes take place in governments and the laws governing
them.
3. Social Nature of Man:
‘The ancient Western thinkers were the first to put weight on social nature of man and
highlight that an individual could not think as lonely and independently. According to the
Western ideology, an individual could get perfection only in a healthy state, so they considered
state as essential for the sake of life as well as good life.’
4. The City State:
Another significant feature of ancient Western political thought was that it is positioned
around the city states, in which men shared with community for common life and purpose; it was
an ample social organization in which citizens uninterruptedly took part. Greek political thinkers
did not identify the state and society. As Barker has observe, “the Greeks were never tried of
telling themselves that while in their communities each man counted for what he was worth and
exercised his share of influence in the common life. It was place of a common life and the home
of a union of classes. Like within common walls drew new natural intimacy. It did not abolish
the prestige of wealth and birth and culture, it established a tradition of easy inter course between
all classes. The city state was also not different from church. It was be –all and end-all of the
actions of its citizens and included the entire cooperative actions of the citizens.
5. Importance of Education:
Ancient Western thinkers gave top significance to education and stressed its importance in
making the people on par with the spirit of constitution. They highlighted on practical system of
education which could help in promoting modesty, self- control, patriotism, sociability and other
similar qualities. The responsibility to promote education was of state among the citizens and
was considered as a moral and political institution but also an educational institution. The Greeks
laid main pressure on state to skilful system of education.
6. Rationalism:
Ancient Western thinkers gave an important position to rationalism in their political
thought. They consider that reason is an aspect of the importance and man was free, when he had
freedom of reasoning, this made man to identify himself with corporate life, which made to stop
his personal and selfish interests and just into the jurisdiction of wider interpretations and higher
purposes. Greek thinkers gave advantaged positions to persons who had the rational faculty and
demoted those persons who did not have reason, have much low status. ‘They gave much
importance to reason and ware against of a thing which was not justified on ground of reason.’
7. Concept of law:
‘Ancient Western thinkers’ concept of law was connected with their belief in reason. They
measured life-breath of the state was law, because it characterized the cane of the rational being.’
The people who make laws were stimulated by the divine power and were also pronouncement
of God. They thought that law and justice as two sides of the same coin, and considered the
justice can be done only by the law.
8. Views on Justice:

‘Ancient Western thinkers gave top priority to Justice, which enabled a citizen to discharge his
duties properly, and contributed towards development of human abilities.’ According to the
Western Thought, Justice was implied to mean willing obedience to the laws of state. According
to Plato “Justice was the virtue of social and injustice was its vice”.
9. Views on Citizenship:
‘Ancient Western thinkers opined that merely payment of taxes and vote did not mean
citizenship. It meant the direct contribution in the management of state as a soldier, as judge, as
a legislator in person not through Deputy. The Greeks ruled out the concept of representative
government, the Greek did not extend rights of citizenship to slaves,’ because they felt the slaves
could not discharge their duties towards the state. Even they denied working classes the right to
rule because they did not have speculative mind. They opined that only the classes which
enjoyed leisure and owned lands can actively participate in the affairs of state, because they are
free from economic burden, hence, the concept of citizenship was limited.
10. Belief in Inequality:

‘Ancient Western thinkers considered equality as impracticable unnatural and undesirable they
argued that the majority of individuals who were inferior, lazy, unfit for education could be
sacrificed at the altar of the minority of excellent and wise.’ They measured that disparity is
natural and allowed the dominance of Greeks over barbarous, of the free man over the slave; of
the gentle man over the artisan etc., they however acceptable equality with in a class. They
opined that equality was not an ideal thing it was something unnatural and hence it is unrealistic
and unwanted.
11. Individualistic Element:
Ancient Western thinkers gave a significant position to the individual, their thought and claimed
it was the right of individual to articulate his own thoughts and direct these thoughts publicly and
act according to the dictator of conscience. Plato highlighted in his laws that society, a group of
individuals and the individual was self-determined. Similarly, Epicurus said “there is no such
thing as human society. Even man is concerned for himself….. Justice never is anything in
itself, but in delays of men with one another in any place whatever and at any time. It is a time
of contract not to harm or to be harmed”.

12. Primacy of Discussions:

Another important feature of Ancient Western thinkers was that, they committed great
importance to discussion. They approved the method of discussion for present their ideas and
philosophy, and truth can be exposed only through proper reasoning and discussion. The novel
method adopted by them was between two parties one presenting the issue and other replying to
those issues with philosophical ideas. They thought that truth would hide in the absence of
discussion. It comes in light with discussion. In fact some of the concepts and ideas discussed
by the ancient Greeks were focal point of discussion of political thought even in our times.