What is politics?

Modern Political Concepts

15th January 2013
Solano Da Silva

Class Objective >>

To understand what is the political; what is meant

by the term politics and what is the scope of the
discipline of political studies.
1) Clues form the Ancient Greeks
2) Modern understanding of politics

Politics? > 1. Clues from the Ancient Greeks >>

We get some notion of what politics means from the ancient
Greeks (particularly the Athenians) who used the word polis to
refer to a number of aspects:
1) To refer to a place, in particular a city (Athens,
Sparta, Thebes and Corinth were at the time
independent and competing city states).

Politics? > 1. Clues from the Ancient Greeks >>

2) Also referred to the body or group of persons who belonged
to the city-state and who were known as citizens, those who
were loyal to the city (note how the word citizens derives from
city).
Today a group or community which is politically organised is
often called a polity.

Politics? > 1. Clues from the Ancient Greeks >>

3) Also refers to an activity which was practiced by the citizens
which is that of collective decision making.
Remember that Athenians developed an innovative form of
government called Demokratia which was then adopted by
many other Greek city-states.

Politics? > 1. Clues from the Ancient Greeks >>

3) Politics as an activity involving collective decision making.
For the Greeks politics was a form of collective organisation
and collective activity.
This activity was characterised by collective and consensual
decision making (based on discussions and debate and not
through violence and conflict) which was intended for the
public good.

Politics? > 1. Clues from the Ancient Greeks >>

3) Politics as an activity involving collective decision making.
For the Ancient Greeks politics involved a continuous
preoccupation about what constitutes the greater good and how
to bring forth the good life.
e.g. the ancient Greeks classified good and perverse regimes
the three good regimes being monarchy, aristocracy, and a
moderate form of democracy; and their three perversions
being tyranny, oligarchy, and a bad form of democracy.

Politics? > 2. Modern understandings >>

1. First View

[Observation] all societies exhibit some form of organisation

or order (stability, regularity).

i.e. Some way by which individual and social life is regulated

and organised.

This seems to be achieved through some exercise of

power in society.

At a basic level politics refers to a particular set of activities to do

with the generation and exercise of power in society.
Politics is about the social exercise of power.
8

Politics? > 2. Modern understandings >>

2. Second View

[Closely related to the first view is the observation] that

societies exhibit a variety of ways through which power is
exercised.

i.e. The presence of a variety of institutions through which

power is exercised in society.

At another level politics refers to the arrangement and working

of institutions of government in society.
Politics is the art and government and activities of the state.

Politics? > 2. Modern understandings >>

3. Third View

[Another observation] that political arrangements change; that

power is often contested and challenged.

i.e. The existence of struggles for political change; rival

opinions, different wants, competing needs and opposing
interests. .

Politics also refers to the ways by which power is challenged,

political institutions change, and the reasons for the same.
Politics is about how conflicts arise and how they are resolved.

10

Politics? > 2. Modern understandings >>

Traditional view of politics and Modern inclusions
Traditional view
Viewed politics largely as
consensual in nature.
Politics seen as a distinctly
public activity.
Politics to do with the
activities of government
and the state.
Politics to do with how to
bring about the good life.

Modern view
Also recognises politics as
conflictual activity.
Also recognised politics
occurring in private
relationships.
Politics much more
pervasive in society; goes
beyond the activities of
governments and states.
Politics about different and
contesting values.
11

Politics? > 2. Modern understandings >>

Politics; an academic discipline

Politics or political analysis refers to an inquiry into the nature,
distribution, exercise, contestation and outcome of power in society.
Nature of power
Distribution of power
Exercise of power
Contestation of power and values
Outcomes
12

REFERENCES
Heywood, A. (2000) Politics in Key Concepts in Politics. Basingstoke:
Palgrave Macmillan, PP. 33 35.
Tansey, S. D. (2000) Politics: The Basics (2nd ed.) London: Routledge,
pp. 1 7.
Bhargava, R. & Acharya, A. (Eds.) (2008) What is Political in
Political Theory: An Introduction. New Delhi: Pearson, pp. 14-16.
Lane, Melissa, (2011) Ancient Political Philosophy in The Stanford
Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Fall 2011 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.),
viewed 12th Aug 2012 <http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/ancientpolitical/>.
13