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Historical Approach

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66 views2 pages

Historical Approach

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vancedy795
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Historical Approach

Sabine is one of the main exponents of the historical conception. In his opinion, a question such as what
is the nature of political theory can be answered descriptively; that is, how theory has responded to
historical events and specific situations

in this perspective, political theory becomes situation dependent in which each historical situation sets a
problem, which in turn is taken care of through solutions devised by the theory. This conception of
political theory is deferential to tradition. Cobban 16 Introducing Political Theory also believes that the
traditional mode, in which a sense of history is instilled to the full, is the right way to consider the
problems of political theory

Over and above this, the historical conception also contributes significantly to our normative vision. The
history of ideas may tell us that our social and political universe is a product of things whose root lies in
the past. And knowing them better would tell us how we have certain values, norms and moral
expectations and from where they have come. With this sense in us, it is possible to interrogate these
values and critically assess their utility

LIMITATION

. But a blind adherence to this conception is not without its folly. The novelty of the project called
political theory is that each specific situation is unique, riddled with new challenges. Hence, worth of the
past sometimes becomes redundant and could even be a hindrance, if one is oblivious of this aspect.
Therefore, the utility of this approach in political theory beyond a certain level is doubtful as it is always
wedded to outmoded ideas from outmoded ages. The suggestive values of the ideas remain, but the
theoretical function recedes considerably

Normative Approach

The normative conception in political theory is known by different names. Some people prefer to call it
philosophical theory, while others refer to it as ethical theory.

Normative political theory leans heavily towards political philosophy, because it derives its knowledge of
the good life from it and also uses it as a framework in its endeavour to create absolute norms

In fact, their tools of theorisation are borrowed from political philosophy and therefore, they always
seek to established inter-relationships among concepts and look for coherence in the phenomena as
well as in their theories, which are typical examples of a philosophical outlook.

Leo Strauss has strongly advocated the case for normative theory and has argued that political things by
nature are subject to approval or disapproval and it is difficult to judge them in any other terms, except
as good or bad and justice or injustice
But the problem with the normativists is that while professing values which they cherish, they portray
them as universal and absolute. They do not realise that their urge to create absolute standard for
goodness is not without pitfalls

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