In today’s fast-moving world, governments and decision-makers often focus on data, statistics, and quick solutions. As a result, the decline of political theory has become a growing concern.
Political theory once played a key role in shaping ideas about justice, democracy, and governance. However, in a world driven by facts and figures, it seems to be losing importance. But does this shift come at a cost? Are we forgetting to ask big questions about power, fairness, and ethics?
The decline of political theory affects how we understand government, politics, and leadership. If we stop studying these ideas, will democratic values and ethical decision-making suffer? This article explores why political theory is fading, what this means for society, and why it still matters in today’s political world.
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What Is Political Theory?
Political theory is the study of political ideas, ideologies, and principles that guide governments and societies. It answers important questions about freedom, justice, equality, and power. Thinkers like Plato, Aristotle, Hobbes, Locke, and Rousseau laid the foundation for political thought. More modern philosophers like Karl Marx, John Rawls, and Hannah Arendt built on these ideas to address contemporary issues.
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Why Is Political Theory Declining?
Several factors have contributed to the decline of political theory:
- The Rise of Data and Behavioral Studies
- In the 20th century, political science shifted towards research based on data and human behavior.
- Scholars began focusing more on numbers, surveys, and statistics rather than big philosophical ideas.
- Political Science Becoming More Specialized
- The field of political science has become divided into many areas, like comparative politics, public policy, and international relations.
- Because of this, broad political theory debates are receiving less attention.
- A Focus on Practical Solutions
- Governments and policymakers prefer research that provides quick, practical solutions rather than philosophical discussions.
- Political scientists are more engaged in solving real-world problems rather than debating abstract ideas.
- Skepticism About Grand Political Theories
- Traditional political ideologies such as liberalism, socialism, and conservatism have changed over time, making some people question their relevance.
- Postmodernist thinkers argue that no single theory can explain everything, so they emphasize specific, real-world cases instead.
- New Global Challenges
- Issues like climate change, digital privacy, and artificial intelligence require knowledge from multiple fields, not just political theory.
- Today’s political problems demand new approaches that go beyond classical political thought.
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Scholar’s Arguments on the Decline of Political Theory
David Easton’s Argument on the Decline of Political Theory (4 factors)
According to David Easton, the usefulness of pre-nineteenth-century normative political theory (Value-based Political Theory) has now declined significantly.
Easton pointed out four reasons (Factors) for this decline in political theory. They are discussed below one by one.
1. Historicism
Researchers on former political theories have been confined to ancient political ideas. They have devoted themselves entirely to the discussion of conventional values of the past.
All these political scientists have shown no interest in developing any new political values. The history of values has not been refined in the work of rearranging political goals. This has led to the erosion of value-based political theories.
It is for this reason that Easton has sharply criticized former political scientists such as Dunning, Sabine, Lindsay, and McIlwaine. They all have developed their theories based on historical analysis.
According to Easton, this class of political scientists has spent too much time emphasizing the political ideologies of the past. There has been a lack of interest among them in developing and interpreting new doctrines.
Rather, they are more interested and enthusiastic in explaining the development of past and present political values, and in combining information about the meaning and underlying consistency of all these values.
For this reason, Easton has said that after Karl Marx and J. S. Mill, there have been no other outstanding political philosophers.
2. Moral Relativism
It speaks to the exclusion of value from political theory. In the middle of the twentieth century, the approach of empirical science was adopted to turn political science into science. The main principle of empirical science is value neutrality.
Easton, however, is not in favor of completely avoiding the discussion of values. In his view, it is necessary to build a value system with a sensitive attitude toward the important problems of society.
That is why he thinks that the abandonment of values to make it too scientific has led to the decline of political theory.
3. Confusion between Science and Theory/ Crazy for Science
One of the reasons for the decline of political theory is the over-reliance on scientific methods to elevate political science to the level of science.
The conventional idea is that science and theory are synonymous. In reality, it is not right. The application of scientific methods and the creation of theories based on research are not synonymous.
Modern political scientists use the scientific method of gathering information on a subject, but cannot explain all the factors that are at work behind the phenomenon.
For this reason, Easton speaks of gathering information based on theoretical hypotheses. There is no guarantee that a theory can be developed through research if a scientific method is applied to a subject.
Misconceptions about science and theory have been around for a long time in the late twentieth century. It is important to remember that theory can transcend science.
The application of scientific methods in research work is indeed especially important. But scientific research does not mean the emergence of a theory.
4. Hyper Factualism
In David Easton’s view, political science has long been obsessed with facts and information. The influence of this trend is also observed in the discussion of political science in the twentieth century.
There is no doubt that in recent times, political scientists have shown remarkable success in inventing and applying complex methods of understanding public opinion, electoral conduct, parliamentary leadership, and so on.
But they could not provide any theoretical dimension to their research studies. Easton calls this situation “Theoretical mal-nutrition and a surfeit of facts”.
Alfred Cobban’s Views on the Decline of Political Theory
According to Cobban, the trend of intellectual heritage continued in the West for more than two and a half thousand years. During this time the process of interaction between ideology and institutions also continued. Both changed and refined due to the impact on each other.
But no such synthesis or coordination has been observed in modern political theory. This process has been off for some time. According to Cobban, this process came to a halt in the late eighteenth century.
Cobban has identified some of the issues that hinder the way of political theory in modern times. These are-
- Unrestricted expansion of the scope of state activities.
- The totalitarian control of the bureaucracy over all the activities of the society.
- The creation of a large-scale military organization.
Cobban discusses the situation in communist countries differently. In all these countries the undisputed supremacy of the almighty Communist Party is established. In terms of the organizational structure of the party, the rule of a small number of people was established.
The ultimate power is concentrated in the hands of the party chief. He/she is to be the party’s chief super-bureaucrat.
A system of repression was developed within the party. This party organization or system is no less powerful than the military organization or system.
In such a state system, it is never possible to come out of that organizational ideology and build a political theory.
Cobban thinks the picture is no different in Western democracies also. Democracy is the dominant political ideology in the Western world. This idea developed in the eighteenth century.
No attempt was made to refine this political idea in the nineteenth century given the changing circumstances and needs. There is no such thing as a political theorist of democracy. Instead of developing democracy, political ideologies like nationalism, communism, fascism, etc. appeared in the nineteenth century.
According to Cobban, one of the reasons for this decline in political theory is the lack of specific goals or objectives among political scientists.
Every famous political philosopher in the past has practiced political issues with a real purpose and to influence actual political behavior (Aristotle, Plato, Bentham, Mill, Locke, Marx, etc). But their absence can be noticed in modern political theory.
Dante Germino and Ideological Reductionism
Like David Easton and Alfred Cobban, Dante Germino in his book ‘Beyond Ideology: The Rival of Political Theory’, also thinks that political theory declined for most of the nineteenth century and into the early twentieth century.
Although Germino thinks that political theory declined due to positivism and he believes that idealism is responsible for the decline of political theory over time.
However, in addition to the earlier decline, he spoke of the existence of ideologies and political doctrines, and Marxism in its infancy. To him, the ideological reductionism of Tracy is one of the most important causes of the decline of political theory, Comte and Karl Marx.
Isaiah Berlin and S.M Lipset
According to them the main reason for the decline of political theory is the triumph of the democratic social revolution in the West.
Triumph of democracy in the sense of triumph of liberal democratic discourse over other discourses.
The universal acceptance of liberal democracy leads to the end of this debate on the decline of political theory is over. And due to this triumph, to quote Lipset, “The age of old search for the good society has been terminated, for we have got it now.”
Berlin and Lipset say together “If the classical political theory has died, perhaps it has been killed by the triumph of democracy”.
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What Happens When Political Theory Declines?
The decline of political theory has real consequences:
- Weak Ethical Foundations: Without strong political theory, government decisions may become purely technical, ignoring moral concerns.
- Less Public Debate: Political theory has historically helped people discuss and debate political issues, but without it, public engagement may decline.
- Threats to Democracy and Justice: Without political theory, democratic institutions, human rights, and justice movements may become weaker.
Why Political Theory Still Matters
Even though political theory is not as dominant as before, it still plays an important role in modern politics:
- Connecting Different Fields: By combining political theory with sociology, economics, and technology, we can better understand today’s challenges.
- Supporting New Political Movements: Many social movements, like feminism and environmental activism, still rely on political theory to develop their ideas.
- Guiding Ethical Decision-Making: In a complex world, political theory provides the moral principles needed for fair and just governance.
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Conclusion
The decline of political theory is a major trend in political science, but it remains important. A balance between theoretical ideas and practical research can help bring political theory back into focus. As the world faces new challenges, political theory will be essential in shaping fair, democratic, and ethical governance.
In another way, you can say that it refers to the decline of the value-oriented political theory. But in the social sciences, the question arises as to how reasonable it is to construct a theory without value.
That is why, during the mid-twentieth century, political theory almost died. And questions were circulating among political scientists about how to prevent the decline of political theory.
Finally, this question was settled by John Rawls’ famous book “A Theory of Justice”, published in 1971. The normative method gained importance in rebuilding political theory and political theory also escaped death.
So, it can be said that after the 1970s, there has been a resurgence of political theory in political science.
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References
- Mahajan, V. Political theory. 5th ed. India: S Chand & Company Ltd, 2015.
- Bhargava, Rajeev. Political Theory: an Introduction. Pearson Education India, 2008.
- Berlin, Isaiah. Four Essays on Liberty. Oxford University Press, 1969.
- Cobban, Alfred. The Decline of Political Theory. George Allen & Unwin, 1960.
- Dahl, Robert A. Democracy and Its Critics. Yale University Press, 1989.
- Easton, David. The Political System: An Inquiry into the State of Political Science. Alfred A. Knopf, 1953.
- Germino, Dante. Beyond Ideology: The Revival of Political Theory. Harper & Row, 1967.
- Lipset, S.M. Political Man: The Social Bases of Politics. Doubleday, 1960.
FAQ
1. Why is political theory declining?
Political theory is declining because of the rise of data-driven research, increased specialization in political science, and a focus on practical problem-solving.
2. How does the decline of political theory affect democracy?
Without political theory, governments may make decisions based only on facts and figures, ignoring important ethical and democratic values.
3. Can political theory become important again?
Yes, by connecting with other fields, addressing modern political issues, and focusing on ethical decision-making, political theory can regain significance.
4. Where is political theory still used today?
Political theory continues to influence debates on feminism, environmental justice, digital governance, and human rights.
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