Nature, Scope and Approaches

Traditional	Modern	Behaviouralist
before WW2, europe, philosophical focus on state, constitutions philosophical, historical, empirical legal-institutional method for comparative	post WW2, America, scientific	American Political Science Association study on human behaviour rather than institution scientific rather than philosophical behavioural turned to post-behavioural  revival of philosophy in europe: post modernism, critical school, feminism Theda Skopol: bring the state back in fear of discipline losing importance since new frontiers like environment, family being priority under behaviouralism

Approaches in political science
Traditional
Philosophical	Historical
based on Socrates- Theory of Knowledge Rawls, Berlin,       Dante Germino   , Leo Strauss Socrates: dialectics Plato: father of political philosophy idea of ideal state oldest normative (justice, liberty, equality, etc) criticised by behaviouralist wanted to make political science 'pure science' Lord Bryce we need 'facts, facts and facts' philosophical theories are 'arm chair theories'	simplest, common sense based servers requirement of sound approach- factual, causal, evaluative history<=>politics machiavelli, laski, sabine historicism is criticised by popper, plamanely statements if history is root, politics is shoot. history is past politics, politics is present history laski: every thinker is child of his time sabine: political ideas are product of crisis phases of history Machiavelli: history, rather than philosophy is better guide to prince criticism of historical approach too vast, challenging to find relevant data all thing in history not relevant. eg- philosopher king history is politicised: orientalism- Edward said philosophers commit historicism (popper). eg- marx, hegel ideological use of history use of history not scientific but selective John Plamanletz    has criticised making political ideas dependent on history political ideas should be based on logic
Emperical	Institutional-legal
based on observation (physical facts and human behaviour) machiavelli: look people how they are proposed historical as well as empirical Aristotle: between idea and reality Theory of Forms Locke: knowledge is experience mind is tabula rasa (empty) knowledge not on soul Discriptive (factual) status-quoist (not for change) not scientific since no verification
Modern approaches
Behavioural approach	Post-behaviouralism
promoted by APSA- American Political Science Association to make pol sci pure science change in epistomology and even ontology of discipline Charles Merriam:    father of Behaviouralism scholars of Chicago school of political science like Charles Merriam, Catalyn were advocating behavioural, systematic and value free analysis reason: other disciplines were becoming scientific. eg- sociology (positivism) less preference to political science as discipline by academic communities Sabine, dunning: writing summary of history of pol. sci David Easton features of behaviouralism and critic by traditionalists regularities: use regularities to make law through observation traditionalists counter that no regularities in citizen behaviour systematisation: relation between objective of research and collection of data traditionalists: social sciences are analytical, not systematic Technique: adapt mathematical, statistical techniques traditionlaist: less areas where these methods can be used Measurement: represent in quntitative terms traditionalists: few areas where measurement possible verification traditionalists: all ideas can't be verified. E.g.- communism Integration: integrate with sociology etc instead of philosophy Value neutrality:  Leo Strauss: it is important to distinguish between pure and dirty water Pure science Achievements arrest the decline in political science understanding difference between theory and practice E.g.- reality of democracy in west, socialism in east (elitist and pluralists) study of political systems in developing areas difference in constitution and practice useful for political parties to frame political program	dissatisfaction from some aspects of behaviouralism decline of political  science under behaviouralists first decline was under traditionalists (historicists) no solution offered to problems of unrest by scholars 1950s, 1960s- in US due to civil rights movements, women movements, environmental and peace movements Alfred Cobban   positivists and  , Dante Germino blamed ideologoical reductionists David Easton's lecture to APSA- Credo of Relevance scholars sitting in 'Ivory Towers' ignored the purpose of justice, truth, etc creative theory- action and relevance decline of discipline due to behavioralists features of post behavioralism purpose>technique applied science, not pure science don't reject values theory should solve crisis promote values contributing to society traditionalists- thesis, behaviouralism= anti-thesis, post-behaviouralism= synthesis
Contemporary approach
post-modernism, feminists, phenomenological existentialism, critical school, structuralists textual vs contextual methods to study classics (Republic, Prince) textual- literal meaning universal, transcendent relevance contextual- Derrida   (deconstruction) meaning understood in present context no interpretation is absolutely literal scholars of cambridge shcoold: Skinner ,      Pocock understand linguistic context also (meaning of words change) Derrida- understand the context of reader as well as the writer every understanding can be misunderstanding	Types Analytical: idealism, liberal, feminism, post-modernism emperical: historcial , beha, post-beha
Conclusion
politics is too complex single approach never sufficient choice depends upon objective of research