What is political thought?

• Political thought is the description of the political ideas of a host of

political philosophers from beginning to the end. It is the sum total of
ideas on matters relating to politics, state, and government as
expressed by the thinker. Political thought is the description, analysis,
expression, and evaluation of the philosophies of the philosophers of
a political tradition
• Political thought enables us not just to make sense of the world in
which we live and how to improve it, but also lets us to critically
reflect upon our assumptions or understandings of politics.
• PT is an outcome of human capacity to reason and reflect upon the surroundings.
Begins when there is an awareness of the possibility of attaining alternative
political arrangements from the present one. So it is as old as the history of
mankind. From the beginning of collective life, humans have been concerned
about collective problems and the question of how to manage them. This forms
the central issue in political theorizing or thinking. And it is also this aspect which
distinguish political thinking from other forms of theorizations.
• So the question of order, state, government, sovereignty, legitimacy, citizenship
have been its central concern.
• Political thought is both descriptive and prescriptive
• PT is about politics or what is relevant to politics. Politics implies political activity
• Political thought is historical and a continuous intellectual process. A
philosophers philosophy cannot be separated from his times. His philosophy is
reflection of his times. The objective conditions of history always provide the
foundations on which the political philosophers have built their philosophy.
• A text without a context is a structure without a base. Machiavelli is better
understood in the context of renaissance. Hobbes and Locke, with their views as
apart as the north-south poles, can be better studied in the backgound of the
English civil war. Marx can be understood in the light of the growing capitalism of
the European/ Western society.
• The philosophers built upon each other. Each subsequent philosopher
condemns/criticizes the political ideas of an earlier thinker and in the process
builds his own philosophy.
• So western political thought has grown; it changes, but it continues. It is continuing
since the days of Plato and Aristotle. No wonder if then it is said that all philosophy is a
footnote to Plato.
• WPT began in Greece upon the writings of Plato and Aristotle. It dealt with diverse
varieties of issues, and each philosopher has handled them from his own angle. Even
though they may not have agreed upon the solution but similar issues have featured in
their studies. It analyses, examines and evaluates issues that have a universal concern
and are of perennial interest (e.g., Justice, liberty, law, Equality etc.)
• The issues that have dominated WPT include democracy, idea of good society, political
power (state) and political procedure (rule of law). It is dominated by the study of
political institutions like state and means through which this power is exercised.
• Two major streams: political idealism and political realism.
• What are the thinkers that need to be studied or who’s thought is to
included in Political thought?
• The answer lies in the timelessness and relevance of the writings that
are being termed as classics. They are a work of first rank and of
acknowledged excellence.
• 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. The issues they discuss transcend their times
and are equally relevant today as were during their times.
• They are not outstanding because what is expressed therein is
original, a 'who said it first' type. What is original may be an important
factor, but what is more important is the understanding of a political
situation and giving to the world, a new interpretation.
• These texts provide us a specialized language that enables us to
understand the political phenomena’s in a better and more nuanced
way.
Greek Political thought
• The ancient Greeks are said to have invented political theorizing. But this not to say
that there existed no thought for collective life. Homeric poems are replete with ideas
about maintaining order in the society. But their contribution lies in giving it a
systematic form and separating political from religious and mythological aspects.
• Also the way collective life is understood in present world has a reflection in the ideas
of Greek philosophy. There existed all kinds of political system ranging from democracy
to Dictatorship. Aristotle is supposed to have made a study of 158 constitutions.
• The Greek allied great faith in reason and believed that it could be used to unravel the
mysteries of nature. The Greeks as a race were unique in a sense that they sought
unknown truths unlike their contemporary civilizations like Egyptian, Indian, Chinese.
The scholars have gone to the extant of arguing that politics and political theory are
blessings of Greek to the world.
• The Greek political thought is normative in nature, that is, it is largely
concerned with the question of ‘what ought to’ than ‘what is’. They
sought to answer how we ought to live in. what is the purpose of life.
According to Socrates a virtuous life is a happy life. They argued that the
ultimate purpose of life was happiness. What this happiness is forms the
central theme in Greek political thought.
• Virtue is knowledge that is knowledge to perform a function effectively.
For example the purpose of a knife is to cut. Its function depends upon
the virtue of sharpness.
• The method applied in Greek thought to unravel truth is Dialectical
method. The truth is known through cross-examination
Features of GPT
• One of the important feature of the ancient Greek Political Thought was that it
related itself mainly with the nature of the state and to the concept that man is a
political animal. 
• The Greek thinkers were the first to put weight on social nature of man and
highlight that an individual could not exist outside state.  He could get perfection
only in a healthy state, so they considered state as essential for the sake of life as
well as good life.
• They regarded state as a natural association so much so that only a god or a
beast can exist outside it. By natural they meant that it is not a creation of man.
This gave rise to organic theory of state according to which, the state is like an
organism (or as a whole) whose parts could find their fullest development only
within the organism.
• Another significant feature of Greek political thought was that it is
positioned around the polis (city state), in which men shared with
community for common life and purpose, it was an ample social
organization in which citizens uninterruptedly took part.
• The word politics is derived from Greek word polis which means city
state. The Greek world was divided into small and compact city states.
There was no political uniformity among the city-states. Except
Sparta, all other states were facing rapid transformation of their
constitutional status. These systematic changes provided much
material for political enquiry.
• Unlike its contemporaries Greek political thought was secular in a
sense that it used reason to explain the political phenomena's.
• There is an identification of ruling class with the state. The ruling class
determined the nature of state.
• Greek political thought is dominated by search for good life. This
could be achieved only under a state. According to Aristotle, state
comes into existence for the sake of life and it continues for the sake
of life.
• One of the most important themes discussed by the Greeks was the
idea of the Justice. The Greeks looked upon justice as the virtue
(excellence). To both Plato and Aristotle Justice meant goodness as
well as willingness to obey laws.
• Revolutions and its causes: the Greek theorists discussed the
revolutions and their causes in their political theories. For Plato
revolutions happen due to moral corruption of the population. For
Aristotle revolution happens when rulers start to rule in their self-
interest.
• View on democracy: both viewed democracy as the worst (or poor)
form of rule/government. For Plato believed that ruling required
specific skills, which generally democratic rulers lacked. Also, Socrates
was executed by Athenian Democratic rulers.
• Another important theme that finds ample description in Greek PT is
the need for education. Both Plato and Aristotle have laid emphasis
on importance of imparting education in developing consciousness
and social responsibility among the men. This was one of the prime
responsibility of the state.