An Introduction to Political Theory

Political theory is an interdisciplinary endeavor whose center of
gravity lies at the humanities end of the happily still undisciplined
discipline of political science. Its traditions, approaches, and styles
vary, but the field is united by a commitment to theorize, critique, and
diagnose the norms, practices, and organization of political action in
the past and present, in our own places and elsewhere. Across what
sometimes seem chasms of difference, political theorists share a
concern with the demands of justice and how to fulfill them, the
presuppositions and promise of democracy, the divide between secular
and religious ways of life, and the nature and identity of public goods,
among many other topics.Political theory deals with the ideas and principles that shape It
clarifies the meaning of concepts such as freedom, equality, justice,
democracy, secularism and so on. It probes the significance of
principles such as rule of law, separation of powers, judicial review,
etc. This is done by examining the arguments advanced by different
thinkers in defence of these concepts. Though Rousseau or Marx or
Gandhi did not become politicians, their ideas influenced generations
of politicians everywhere. There are also contemporary thinkers who
draw upon them to defend freedom or democracy in our own time.
Besides examining arguments, political theorists also reflect upon our
current political experiences and point out trends and possibilities
for the future.