Author: haroonkhan
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Dimensions of Power
When we associate the concept of power with political theory, we largely delve in the realm of political power. Concept of political power has been a matter of debate from early times. Plato in his Republic wanted to associate political power with philosophic knowledge lest, he feared, power would always be corrupting. When Lord Acton talked of…
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Power
Power, Legitimacy and Authority As our introductory remarks reveal, power is considered as an important analytical variable in the study and understanding of the political system and its processes. It is also important to understand the way institutions of the State exercise their authority and the circumstances in which authority faces legitimacy deficit and deficit…
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Introduction
We have briefly dealt with the relationship between authority, legitimacy and political obligation. A point has been made there that a citizen’s loyalty towards and identification with the authority is assumed because of inherent legitimacy and consent it carries. Political obligation is easily maintained in such a situation and those subject to it, i.e., the…
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J. P. Narayan’s Concept of Total Revolution
Jaya Prakash Narayan had declared that total revolution is a combination of seven revolutions—social, economic, political, cultural, ideological or intellectual, educational and spiritual. This may be increased or decreased. For example, cultural revolution may include educational and ideological revolution … Economic revolution may be split up into industrial, agricultural, technological revolutions etc.’47 The idea is that…
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Kautilaya’s Concept of Revolts and Rebellions
Kautilaya devotes a chapter in part III of his Arthashastra dealing with king on revolts, rebellions, conspiracies and treason. The Kautilayan scheme of statecraft deals with dangers and threats that a king or ruler as ‘embodiment of the state’44 faces. In the nature of advice, he offers how the kings should deal with the issues of political obligation…
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Perspective on Proletarian Revolution in India
The nature of social formation and the revolutionary base in India and the colonial linkage of the country, demand interpreting the Marxian revolutionary framework to suit the Indian situation. During the colonial period, revolutionary and radical resistance was being carried out parallel to the other forms of resistance that the national bourgeoisie in India, under…
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Marxian Concept of Revolution
Proletarian or Marxian theory of revolution is related to Karl Marx, Friedrich Engels and Vladimir Lenin. It is called proletarian revolution because in the Marxian framework the workers or the proletariat in the industrial setting are the base of a revolution. Marx, in the Manifesto of the Communist Party, called for the workers of all countries to…
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Locke’s Concept of Revolution
Locke’s state is limited and constitutional. It exercises power based on the consent of the people as a trust implied in the social contract. Government is bound by the terms of the contract to safeguard and protect the natural rights—right to life liberty and property, for which it has been instituted. This means, legitimacy of…
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Aristotle’s Concept of Revolution
Aristotle’s analysis and description of 158 constitutions of Greek city-states suggested that these constitutions changed periodically and the changes occurred as cyclical alterations. Aristotle observed that these alterations followed a pattern of transformation, which reflected change in the nature of the constitution, e.g., from monarchy-aristocracy-democracy to tyrann–oligarch–mobocracy. While the first set represents ‘pure’ forms of constitution, the second set…
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Resistance and Revolution
Resistance and Revolution are manifestations of the limit of political obligation and reflects a state of affairs when citizens acquire a right to resist and disobey the state. Most of the political resistance could be of intra-systemic while revolution is extra-systemic and seeks extra legal solution. A distinction between revolution and other forms of resistance…