 Hello, learners. Welcome to this lecture on meaning, nature, and scope of political science. I'm Dr. Abhijit Nia, assistant professor in the discipline of political science, KKH State of the University. Now, this particular unit, namely, meaning, nature, and scope of political science, is from the course, Political Theory Part A, from BA First Semester Program in Political Science. Now, we are all familiar with the terms politics and political science, and we tend to use these terms quite often in our day-to-day lives. However, it is necessary for us to understand the meaning of these terms and concepts from an academic point of view. Accordingly, let us try to understand the true meaning of political science and also examine its nature and scope. In the process, we should also learn about the meaning of the term politics. Coming to the meaning of political science, what we find is that the discipline of political science has been interpreted, both in the traditional sense as well as from the modern point of view. So, let us first try to find out the traditional meaning of political science. The term politics was first used by Aristotle, the famous Greek philosopher. He called it the Master Science. Aristotle, as you know, was one of the pioneers in the field of political science and politics from ancient Greece. Aristotle, in his famous book, Politics, has said, Man is by nature a political animal, and he who by nature, and not by mere accident, is without state, is either above humanity or below it. From this definition, it becomes amply clear that human beings always, as political beings, desire to live in a state in order to fulfill their needs and aspirations. For well-organized social existence, what is required is a well-governed state, which can ensure security of human life and provide for human welfare and progress. At the same time, there needs to be an institutional mechanism in the form of the government for the purpose of exercising political power and governing the state. So, in its traditional sense, the subject or the discipline of political science is but a scientific study of the state and the government. As a matter of fact, in ancient Greece, the subject dealing with the activities associated with the city-states of Polis was described as politics. So, in its traditional sense, what you find is that traditional political science always talks about the study of the state and government. In fact, in ancient Greece, the city-states of Polis were very important, and the subject dealing with the city-states of Polis was described as politics. Let us examine some important definitions regarding the meaning of political science as it is understood in its traditional sense. So, like I told you earlier, the subject of political science in its traditional sense basically deals with the institutions of the state and government. And when we try to examine the definitions of political science in its traditional sense, we find that most of the scholars are describing political science in terms of a systematic study of the state and government. Now, let us try to look at the definitions of political science which have been offered by different scholars in the traditional sense of the term. According to American political scientist Dr. Garner, political science begins and ends with the state. So, here again we find that Dr. Garner, the famous American political scientist, he talks about political science as something which begins and ends with the state. According to French political philosopher Paul Genet, political science is that part of social science which treats the foundations of the state and the principles of government. Here again we find that the emphasis is on the two institutions namely the state and the government in terms of the foundations of the state and the principles of government. Then, according to German thinker Gareth, political science deals with the origin, development, purpose and all political problems of the state. According to British historian Sir John Sealy, political science investigates the phenomena of government as political economy deals with wealth, biology with life, algebra with numbers and geometry with space and magnitude. So, Sir John Sealy is trying to make a comparison between political science and other subjects. In that political science, just as political science investigates the phenomena of government, political economy deals with wealth, biology with life, algebra with numbers and geometry with space and magnitude. According to British political scientist Stephen Leacock, political science deals with the government. So, from the definitions that we discussed now, we find that it becomes amicably clear that political science has been traditionally defined as by many scholars from the point of view of the study of the state and government. So, traditionally political science has been interpreted as a study of the state and government. Now, we come to the modern meaning of political science. In the modern period, there has been a shift in the focus of political science from the study of the state to the study of what they described as the political system. So, in the modern period, we find that there has been a shift in the focus of political science from the study of the state to the study of what they described as political system. So, from the study of the state to the study of the political system. So, that is the main shift in focus in the modern period with regard to the subject of political science. The term political system brings the study of political science closer to the larger social environment. The political system interacts with other systems such as the economic system, the cultural system, the legal system and other social systems, all of which operate within the larger social environment. So, the moment we talk about the political system instead of the term state, we find that political science as a subject comes closer to the larger social environment. So, political system interacts with other systems such as the economic system, the cultural system, the legal system and other social systems, all of which operate within the larger social environment. So, political system is something which is always in association, which is always understood in association with the larger social environment and it is a part of the larger social system. Accordingly, political science today has gone beyond the study of mere formal institutions like the state and government who are studying the various processes and influences emerging out of the social environment which act upon the political system and vice versa. So, when the political system interacts with other subsystems of the social system, subsystems in terms of the cultural system, economic system etc. So, the various processes and influences emerging out of the social environment becomes important because these processes and influences actually influence or have an impact upon the functioning of the political system itself. For example, study of voting behavior, ethnicity, political economy, ideology, power, these are all presumably important in recent times with regard to the subject to political science. So, in the modern period political science basically focuses on the political system rather than on the state. The state is basically a formal institution while the political system is rather more broad based because it talks about the interactions between the political system and other subsystems like the cultural system, the legal system. Social system, the economic system and how these systems act upon or influence the political system and vice versa. Political system also influences the functioning of the other subsystems. So, political science has been brought closer to the social environment. Significantly, one key element in the realm of political science today is the concept of politics. The term politics has been gaining much importance in the study of present day political science. So, while talking about the subject to political science, we find that the concept of politics is deeply associated with the subject to political science. Now, how does politics arise? Politics arises out of diversity. Human society is marked by the existence of a wide variety of groups and communities. Politics involves the expression of differing opinions by and competition among opposing groups with regard to their wants and interests. At the same time, politics involves attempts made towards reconciling these competing interests by exploring procedures for the resolution of disagreements among the various contending parties in a way that minimizes disagreements and frictions while creating enough ground for mutual cooperation. So, politics definitely arises out of diversity because there is the existence of a wide variety of groups and communities in the society. So, in the process, there is bound to be friction among these groups and communities because all these groups and communities are competing with each other in order to fulfill their own respective needs. Now, this is where politics again becomes important because politics in this sense emphasizes what we call conflict resolution. It tries to resolve the differences among these groups and communities in a harmonious way and in order to reach a mutually acceptable solution. So, politics is basically about conflict resolution. Politics itself arises out of diversity and politics again as a means towards conflict resolution. So, resolution of conflict is thus an important objective of politics. Finally, politics is about taking collective decisions by the government which are regarded as binding on a group of people aimed at the resolution of conflict. So, politics is again about taking collective decisions which are binding upon a group of people because these decisions are aimed at resolution of conflict. In this context, politics becomes an exercise of power that is legitimate in nature. So, when we talk about politics, we find that the state uses power and when the state uses power, it is legitimate power. In this sense, politics means resolution of conflict by the state. Harold Leswell defined political science as the study of the shaping and sharing of power. So, politics is again associated with power and power is exercised by the state. And when the state exercises power, it becomes legitimate power because the aim of the state is to resolve differences among groups and communities. In a final analysis, when it tried to describe the meaning of political science, we find that political science today not only implies merely the study of structures and institutions like the state and government, but it has in recent times assumed a wider meaning in view of the fact that political science encompasses the study of the actual dynamics of various political processes and phenomena which take place within the political system in relation to the larger social environment. So, in the traditional sense, political science was basically a study of the state and government. But in the modern period, there has been a shift in focus from the study of the state and government to the study of the political system. And when you talk about political system, the moment we start talking about the political system, political science becomes a wider field of study because it actually now encompasses the study of the actual dynamics of various processes and phenomena that emerges out of the social environment and influence the political system. So, political system is something which has to be understood in relation to the larger social environment. So, political science today has assumed a wider and more broad-based meaning. In the succeeding sections, we shall talk about the nature and then about the scope of political science. Thank you.