Semester: II Course: Political Theory

Faculty: William Nunes

Gujarat National
Law University
Gandhinagar, Gujarat (India)

Course Outline

of

Political Theory
(History of Political Thought, Political Theory
and the Politics)

For

BA.LLB

Semester: II

Session: January –May 2017

Faculty:
Dr. William Nunes

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Semester: II Course: Political Theory
Faculty: William Nunes

Sl. Page
Contents
No. No.
1.0 Objectives of the course 3-4

2.0 Proposed teaching schedule 4

3.0 Detailed course-outline 5

4.0 Prescribed/Recommended readings 6-7

5.0 Teaching methodology 7

6.0 Evaluation pattern 8

Tentative dates for test/submission of
7.0 8
project/GD, etc
8.0 Important instructions to students 8

9.0 Contact hours 8

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Semester: II Course: Political Theory
Faculty: William Nunes

1.0 Rationale/Objectives of the Course

 
Political theory is a field of study which engages the history of political
thought and attempts to answer the normative question “What do we want our
political world to be?” or “how best to arrange our collective lives” This is
quite different from your previous forays into political science which may have
focused on description and explanation. Since the time of Socrates, political
philosophers have examined and suggested the most defensible approaches to
political knowledge as well as the cultural values, political regimes,
institutional forms, laws and economic systems that best facilitate “the good
life” for human beings. Thus the aim of the course is to introduce to students
to some substantive domains and modes of inquiry. The aim of the course is to
impart critical understanding of the ideas and arguments of the masters of
political thought. For it is their thought that has contributed to shaping the
political landscape and institutional structures of the Western world and
continues to guide contemporary political system. Moreover, some of them
have helped establish intellectual movements like Liberalism, Conservatism,
Socialism and Communism that still provide important frameworks for the way
we think about political matters. Thus, by understanding their works we also
gain a better grasp on our contemporary political reality.
The course begins by highlighting the distinction between political
philosophy, political theory and political ideology, while also surveying the
basic tenets of the most important ideologies of our time (e.g. Liberalism,
Marxism, Feminism, Environmentalism and the like). The starting point of the
course is the great Greek thinkers Plato and Aristotle. It then moves to study
Niccoló Machiavelli and his advice to Princes as to how to stay in power. We
trace this line of thought that emphasizes the necessity of a strong and
efficient government. The third topic deals with Bentham and his idea of
Utilitarianism and moves to John Stuart Mill who have provided the most
brilliant formulation of Liberalism in On Liberty that appeared in 1859. From
there we trace Liberalism’s legacy to contemporary Libertarian writers that
denounce the power of the state as well as Feminism and Gay Rights which
advocates that struggle against discrimination.
Furthermore, the growth of political theorizing has also thrown some
contested concepts particularly revolving around the idea of power,
participation, democracy raising issues around matters of culture, identity,
history, and the modern/postmodern project in general. These theorists,
Michel Foucault, Jurgen Habermas, Chantal Mouffe, Nancy Fraser and others,
offers resources to students of all sub-fields.
Marx was right when he stated that, people's beliefs and self-conceptions
are shaped by prevailing relations of power, including forms of domination.
The hermeneutical interpretive perspective or interpretive social scientists
emphasize that political activity is thoroughly embedded in and shaped by
people's everyday languages and conceptions. These scholars attempt to
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Semester: II Course: Political Theory
Faculty: William Nunes
explain political phenomena by comprehending the self-understanding of
political agents. We will survey some major interpretive and critical approach
to political inquiry and examine the work by Hans-Georg Gadamer, Charles
Taylor, Jurgen Habermas, Michel Foucault, Gayatri Spivak, and others.
However, in recent years there has been growing interest in non-Western
source of political theory as well as critical examination of the major canons of
political theorizing. In this context an attempt is made to introduce Indian
thoughts represented in the writing of Kautilya as well as modern thought,
which mainly revolved around the nationalist movement. The critics of the
dominant thought have emerged from the feminist thinkers as in the Indian
context from the Dalits.

The course has the following aims:

 Familiarize students with the texts of key political philosophers/thinkers
via an engagement with some classic and modern texts
 Examine some significant contribution of key political thinkers and their
relevance to contemporary society;
 To enable students to develop advanced reasoning and interpretative
skills associated with political philosophy
 Apply critical and conceptual thought to existing and proposed political
institutions
 Understand and evaluate a number of positions concerning the putative
authority of the state
 developed a capacity to appreciate the merits of alternative perspectives
– ideological, ethnic, or national – on global/national/ regional political
ideas and issues
Having completed the course students should: Learning Outcomes
 The immediate goal of this class is to push you to think critically about
the ideas and philosophies that have shaped, and will continue to guide
contemporary political systems.
 Be able to define, identify, and discuss the themes, preoccupations, and
limits of political theory, while contextualize the terms and concerns of
political ideas as put forth by various thinkers/traditions.
 should be able interpret and explain challenging theoretical and
philosophical texts, while also being able to recognize, distinguish,
analyze, and evaluate theoretical arguments
 communicate effectively and display skills associated with scholarly
inquiry in the discipline of political philosophy such as, critical analysis,
sound argument, coherent construction and written expression;
 Develop thinking about the process as inquiry prepares you for other
courses in political science, law and jurisprudence. You should learn
how to ask the right kinds of questions and how to go about answering
them. Put simply, you will learn important scholarship skills which will
make you a better person because you’ll be open-minded to the
complexity of viewpoints in the world..
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Semester: II Course: Political Theory
Faculty: William Nunes

2.0 Proposed Teaching Schedule

No. of
Module
Modules Sessions
No.
(Classes)
II.6.1: Introduction: What is Political Theory? 5
II.6.2: Contemporary Political Theory 10
II.6.3: Western Political Thought (Ancient, 27
Modern & Contemporary)
II.6.4: Indian Political Thought 25
II.6.5: Dalit Critiques of the Major Canon 3

Total =
___70_____

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Semester: II Course: Political Theory
Faculty: William Nunes
3.0 Detailed Course Outline

(Political Thought)

Module- II.6.1: Introduction: What is Political Theory?

Sessions: 05
6.1.1. Political Philosophy, Political Theory, Political Thought and
Political Ideology
6.1.2 State of Political Theory Today: Decline or Resurgence

Module-II.6.2: Contemporary Political Theory

Sessions: 10
6.2.1. The Interpretative and Hermeneutical Approach
6.2..2. Post-Modern Approach - Critical Theory
6.2..3. Feminisms/ Politics of Identity/Politics of Recognition
6.2..4. Multiculturalism & Republicanism

Module- II.6.3: Western Political Thought (Ancient, Modern &

Contemporary) Sessions: 27
6.3.1. Greek Political Thought
6.3.1.i Plato: Views on Justice, Nature of the Ideal State, Concepts
of ‘Philosopher II.II: King’ (from The Republic); Political ideas in
Statesman and the Law
6.3.1.ii Aristotle: the State, Classification of systems of government,
Principles of mixed constitution, citizenship, slavery, justice.
6.3.2. Machiavelli and the Political Thought in the Renaissance
Period. The basis of state, politics and morality, strategy and
power politics (from The Prince).
6.3.3. Marxist Political Thought: Karl Marx, Lenin, Mao, Gramsci, Che
Guvera
6.3.4. Jeremy Bentham and J.S. Mill
6.3.5. Theory of Justice: John Rawls (interface with Amartya Sen and
Michael Sandle)

Module- II.6.4: Indian Political Thought

Sessions: 25
6.4.1. Kautilya: Views on ideologies on state, statecraft and ethics
6.4.2. Dr. B.R. Ambedkar: Annihilation of caste
6.4.3. M. N. Roy: The future of Indian Politics
6.4.4. J. P Narayan: The principles of Lokniti: alternative forms of Rajniti

Module- II.6.5: Dalit Critiques of the Major Canon

Sessions:03
6.5.1 Discussion on the Dalit movements and writings of Kancha Ilaiah
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Semester: II Course: Political Theory
Faculty: William Nunes

Module- II.6.6: Islamic and Chinese Political Thought

Sessions:03
6.6.1 Islamic Political Thought with reference to Ibn Khaldun
6.6.2. Chinese Political Thought with reference to Confucius

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Semester: II Course: Political Theory
Faculty: William Nunes

4.0 Prescribed/Recommended Readings

Prescribed Readings

Follow the OSCOLA guide

1. Will Kymlicka, Contemporary Political Philosophy: An

Introduction (2nd Ed., Oxford University Press 2002)
2. Alan Ryan, On Politics: A History of Political Thought: From
Herodotus to the Present (2 Vol. Set) 1st Edition (Penguin UK,
2013)
3. Mitchell Cohen and Nicole Fermon (editors), Princeton
Readings in Political Thought (Princeton University Press,
1996)
4. George Klosko, The History of Political Philosophy (Oxford
University Press 2011)
5. Bhargava Rajeev, What is Political Theory and Why Do We
Need It?, (Oxford University Press 2010)
6. Catriona McKinnon (ed), Issues in Political Theory ( Oxford
University Press 2010)
7. Boucher David and Paul Kelly, Political Thinkers: From
Socrates to the Present, (2nd ed., Oxford University Press
2009).
8. Mukherjee Subrata and Sushila Ramaswami, History of
Political Thought: Plato to Marx (Prentice Hall of India 2004)
9. Ian Adams and R.W. Dyson, Fifty Major Political Thinkers, (2nd
edn, Routledge e 2003)
1. K S Bharathi, Encyclopedia of eminent thinkers: the political
thought of Ambedkar, (Vol 9, Concept Publishing Company
1998)
2. K S Bharathi, Encyclopedia of eminent thinkers: the political
thought of Mahatma Gandhi, (Vol 1, Concept Publishing
Company 1998)
3. K S Bharathi, Encyclopedia of eminent thinkers: the political
thought of M N Roy, (Vol 10, Concept Publishing Company
1998)
10. J.S. McClelland, A History of Western Political Though
( Routledge 1996)
4. T. Pantham and K. Deustch (ed), Political Thought in Modern
India ( Sage 1986)
11. Varma S. P., Modern Political Theory, (Vikas 1983)
12. Mehta, V.R., Foundations of Indian Political Thought. Modern
India (Gitanjali 1975)
13. Appadorai A., Documents on Political Thought in
Modern India (2 vols. Oxford
University Press 1970)
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Semester: II Course: Political Theory
Faculty: William Nunes
14. Kangle R. P., Arthashastra of Kautilya, (Motilal Banarsidass
1965)
15. Sabine G. H., A History of Political Theory

Recommended Readings

Follow the OSCOLA guide

1. Bajpai Rochana, Debating Difference (Oxford University Press
2011)
2. Bandhopadhyaya J., Social and Political Thought of Gandhi
( Allied 1969).
3. Barker E., Principles of Social and Political Theory, (Oxford
University Press 1976)
4. Bhargava Rajeev, Amiya Kumar Bagchi, R. Sudarshan,
Multiculturalism, Liberalism and Democracy, (Oxford
University Press 2007)
5. Damodaran K., Indian Thought: A Critical Survey, (Asia
Publishing House 1967)
6. Held D., Models of Democracy, Cambridge, Polity Press, 1987.
7. Held D., Political Theory Today, Cambridge, Polity Press,
1991.
8. Karnik V. B., M. N. Roy: Political Biography, (Bombay, Jagruti,
1978)
9. Mehta V. R., Foundations of Indian Political Thought
(Manohar, 1992)
10. Nanda B. R., Gandhi and His Critics (Oxford University
Press 1985)
11. Nelson, Brian, Western Political Thought: From Socrates
to the Age of Ideology, (2nd edn, Pearson 2007)
12. Pantham Thomas, Political Theories and Social
Reconstruction.
13. Parekh B., Colonialism, Tradition and Reform: Analysis
of Gandhi’s Political Discourse, New Delhi, Sage, 1989.
14. Parekh B. and T. Pantham (eds.), Political Discourse:
Exploration in Indian and Western Political Thought, New
Delhi, Sage, 1987.
15. Ramaswamy S., Political Theory: Ideas and Concepts,
( Macmillan 2002)
16. K S Bharathi, Encyclopedia of eminent thinkers: the
political thought of Ambedkar, (Vol 9, Concept Publishing
Company 1998)
17. K S Bharathi, Encyclopedia of eminent thinkers: the
political thought of Mahatma Gandhi, (Vol 1, Concept
Publishing Company 1998)
18. K S Bharathi, Encyclopedia of eminent thinkers: the
political thought of M N Roy, (Vol 10, Concept Publishing
Company 1998)
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Semester: II Course: Political Theory
Faculty: William Nunes
19. B. R. Nanda, Gokhale, Gandhi and the Nehru, studies in
Indian Nationalism (Allen and Unwin 1974)
20. V. S. Narvane, Modern Indian Thought (Orient Longman
1978)
21. G. Omvedt, Dalits and Democratic Revolution : Dr.
Ambedkar and the Dalit Movement in Colonial India (Sage
1994)
22. V. P. Verma, Modern Indian Political Thought ( Laxmi
Narain Aggrawal 1974)

5.0 Teaching Methodology

L
  ectures are designed to introduce you to the main issues and
debates. They are meant to be stimulus for independent learning
(not a substitute for it) and the acquisition of analytical and critical
skills. They certainly do not provide ‘closure’ on a particular issue,
but provides opportunity to explore some of the debates and issues
that we as citizens encounter. We cannot have definite answers, but
the discussion should raise further and perhaps, more complex
question that lead into further research.
 Lecture Method accompanied with PPTs
 Illustration from Daily News – TV/ newspapers
 Discussion and Interactions
 Screening of Documentaries
 Comparative analysis of Issues
 Students presentations

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Semester: II Course: Political Theory
Faculty: William Nunes

6.0 Evaluation Pattern

Evaluation:
Marks
Continuous Evaluation……………………………………………. 20
marks
Term Paper 10 marks
Group Exercise 10 marks

Mid-Semester ………………………………….....................................
30 marks
End-Semester Examination……………………………………........... 50
marks

Total
100 marks
Continuous Evaluation: (Instruction by the faculty-member)

7.0 Tentative Dates for Continuous Evaluation Tests/

Submission of Project/ GD, etc

 Term Paper Registration: : 23

January 2017
 Project Submission: : 20
February 2017

8.0 Important Instructions to Students

The Course Outline given here is though exhaustive, it is also

considered tentative in the sense the concerned faculty-member may
modify it while engaging the academic sessions with inputs from
students if found to be appropriate and required. The teaching course
of this subject and methodology will not be necessarily bound by
parameters shown here.

Both faculty-members and students may mould the Course Outline

according to the needs suitable for better and progressive
understanding of the subject in a flexible way.

Students are requested to respond to the course outline well before the
academic sessions if they have suggestions

Note: This course undertakes a chronological introduction to selective

work of some of the major political thinkers in both the Western and
Non-Western world. A common question students taking this course ask
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Semester: II Course: Political Theory
Faculty: William Nunes
is, ‘What do the texts and issues for this course have to do with our
politics?’
The possible answer: It is up to you to decide whether they indeed have.
Your answer, at the end of the day, may reasonably be “no.” But before
you jump to that conclusion, you should note that many people — many
generations, in fact — have taken these texts to deal with the most
important political questions that exist and many will continue to
provide the framework to answer further political question

9.0 Contact Hours

Days: Monday, Wednesday and Friday

Timings: 3.30 P.M to 4.30 P.M

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