Question

Differentiate between traditional and modern views of Political Science.

Answer 1

Difference between traditional and modern views of Political Science: 

1. Differences of Definitions: 

Traditional thinkers consider Political Science as a study of state and government. As Garner has written, “Political Science begins and ends with the state”. In contrast to this, modern thinkers are of the view that Political Science is study of man’s political behaviour. As lass well and Kaplin have said, “Political Science is the study of shaping and sharing of power”.

2. Difference in Nature: 

Traditional thinkers of Political Science consider it as an ‘Art’ and give emphasis on ‘should be’. As Buckle believed, “In the present situation of knowledge Political Science far from being a science, it is the most lacking Art”. Since ages, Manu, Kautilya, Shukra, etc. Indian political thinkers had defined it as an art of governance. Ancient Greek thinkers like Plato also considered it as an art of government, whereas modern political thinkers consider Political Science as science and lay emphasis on relavant, data-based objective and mathematical study.

3. Differences in study methods: 

Traditional Political Science uses philosophical, historical and comparative methods for study. These methods are old and unrefined. On the other hand, study of modern Political Science uses statistical experiential – based and inter-disciplinary methods. Modern political thinkers analyse and predict man’s political behaviour and experienced truths related to it.

4. Differences regarding values: 

Traditional view of Political Science is free of values. It is affected by subjective and individual approach. Traditional thinkers believed in ethics and morality. Whereas, modem view of Political Science gives no emphasis on it. According to modern view, political thinkers keep themselves separated from morality, values, ethics and prejudices and carry on research using scientific methods.

5. Differences in Aim and Purpose: 

Purpose of traditional Political Science is achievement of good life. On the other hand, purpose of modern political science is not achievement of good life, but it is to explain the political happenings in their real perspective. Modern political thinkers are of the view that a political thinker cannot be a passive onlooker, but he has to try to solve the problems.

6. Differences in scope: 

Under traditional Political Science, present, past and future of a state is studied, along with organs, methods and responsibilities of governments. Whereas, modern political thinkers do not study institutions, rather they study methods. They like to study who makes the law, who decides to make laws and the real process of law – making, rather than studying the executive or parliament.

Answer 2

Difference between traditional and modern views of Political Science-

1. Difference in scope: In traditional view, the scope of the study is limited. It emphasized mainly on the comparative study of formal political institutions.
   In the modern view, the scope of comparative politics is much wider. It includes the analysis and comparison of the actual behavior of political structures, formal as well as informal.
2. Difference in approach: Traditionalists follow narrow and normative approach. It involves descriptive studies with a legal – institutional framework and normative – prescriptive focus. As against it, modernists stand for empirical, analytical studies with a process orientated or behavioural focus and they follow always scientific methodology.
3. Study of political environment is different: In traditional view it fails to give due place to the study of the environment of political institutions. But in modern view, it gives due importance to study of environments and infra structures of politics.
4. Focus of two views are different: Traditionalists ignore the importance of inter disciplinary focus, but modernists fully accept the importance of it and strongly advocates the use of such focus.
5. Goals are different: The objective of the traditional view of the comparative study of politics has been always the description of the ideal of political institutions in different states of the world. The goal of modernists has been always to predict the real structure of political institutions, in a most scientific way.
6. Traditional view is parochial, while modern view is global: Traditionalism is parochial oriented specially towards European political systems. Modern scientific view of the study of comparative politics is global and it includes the study of all political systems of the world – European and non European, Western and Eastern and developed as well as developing.
7. Theory building is also different: Traditionalist seeks to build of a theory of ideal political institutions. But modernists seek to build up a scientific theory of politics.