POLITICAL SCIENCE AS ART OR
SCIENCE:
Aristotle, the father of political science considered
political Science as the master of all sciences. Writers like Laski, Burke and Maitland used the
title politics instead of political science. Some other Writers like Godwin, Vico, Hume, Bodin, Hobbes, Montesquieu used the title
political science Professor Maitland once wrote, ' When I see a good set of
examination questions headed by the words 'Political Science', I regret not the
questions but the title. Buckle observed in the present state of knowledge,
politics far from being a science is one of the most backward of all arts'.
There is a great deal of controversy over the question whether political
science is a science or art. Science means a body of systematized knowledge
arranged on certain principles.
Art is a systematic knowledge to the solution of problems
of human life. Physical science like physics, chemistry etc., follow the
scientific method while studying physical phenomena. For example, law of
gravity. If you throw a ball upwards, it will come down due to law of
gravitation. Similarly, two parts of hydrogen and one part of oxygen constitute
water. If you do it anywhere any number of times the result will be the same,
correct and exact.
Social sciences like history, sociology, political
science, economics also follow the scientific method while studying social
phenomena. Laboratory tests are not possible in social sciences.
The basic difference lies in the fact that physical
sciences study about matter whereas social sciences study about human
beings.Hence the results obtained in physical sciences are precise, perfect and
exact at all times. That is not possible in social sciences. This does not mean
that political science claim to be a science can be denied.
It is true that political science cannot be an exact
science, since its laws and conclusions cannot be expressed in precise terms
and it cannot predict political events accurately. Besides social and political
relationships are constantly changing and what may be true of them today may
not be true in the future. Hence political science can be called both a science
and an art.
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